THE EFFECT OF THE CHAIN WORD GAME ON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY ACHIEVEMENT: A QUASI EXPERIMENTAL STUDY EFL LEARNING

Abstract

The objective of this research project is to investigate the effect of using the Chain Word Game on students’ vocabulary achievement. Vocabulary is a fundamental aspect of language learning that supports listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. The Chain Word Game is considered an engaging instructional strategy that can enhance students’ vocabulary retention, motivation, and active participation. This research was conducted among the eleventh-grade students of SMAN 3 Brebes in the 2024/2025 academic year. The population of this study consisted of 350 students, and a purposive sampling technique was used to select 72 students, divided into experimental and control groups. A quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test was employed. The research instrument was a vocabulary test focusing on four aspects: word meaning, word use, word combination, and word grammar. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26. The results indicated that the experimental group’s mean vocabulary score significantly increased from 52.03 to 81.67 after being taught using the Chain Word Game, while the control group’s mean score rose from 51.11 to 59.78. The Independent Samples T-Test showed a significance value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), indicating a statistically significant difference between the two groups. These findings demonstrate that the Chain Word Game positively affects students’ vocabulary achievement. In conclusion, the Chain Word Game is an effective instructional strategy for enhancing students’ vocabulary mastery. Teachers are encouraged to implement interactive and game-based techniques, such as the Chain Word Game, to improve vocabulary learning outcomes and foster a more engaging classroom environment.