MATAI: International Journal of Language Education website: https://ojs3. id/index. php/matail Volume . No. Pp. 93-102 accepted in 28 Mei 2023 e-ISSN. The Use of The Word Splash Strategy in Vocabulary Enhancement at Junior High School Level Gabriela Elizabeth de Queljoe 1. Pattimura University Renata C. Nikijuluw 2* Pattimura University *e-mail: renataloppies@gmail. Smarty J. Satumalay3. Pattimura University Abstract This paper explores using the word splash strategy to enhance vocabulary at the Junior High School Level. Some researchers have applied the word splash strategy to help students learn The research showed that by using the word splash strategy, students could effectively motivate learning vocabulary. Students showed evidence of learning by using the word splash strategy. Word Splash is a learning strategy that stimulates thinking around a topic. The Word Splash Strategy allows students to learn new words and ideas before they start reading and helps them figure out how the word might relate. This strategy can help students improve their vocabulary by allowing them to predict words before they read the passage and connect new words or ideas to the passage's main idea. Keywords: Vocabulary, word splash strategy. English as foreign language DOI: 10. 30598/matail. INTRODUCTION Using words is one of the essential skills that need to learn when learning a new In other words, learners need an excellent vocabulary to learn a new or foreign language (Giessen, 2. Korlu and Mede . say that learning and vocabulary are two things that go together and cannot be separated. Many educational resources are written in English. Therefore, students must be capable of learning the four English skills . istening, speaking, reading, and writin. to better understand English. According to Indrasari. Novita, and Megawati . Aulearning vocabulary can help people understand the four English skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Ay Sari and Sutopo . AuWord usage is one of the most crucial skills to acquire when learning a new language. Ay That means achieving lots of vocabulary helps students in learning English. According to Krashen and Terrell . , students cannot master English without understanding the vocabulary. Students will find organizing their thoughts, ideas, and information more accessible if the vocabulary is carefully reviewed (Aisyah et al. , 2. On the other hand, students learning English frequently need help understanding texts written in English. the significant problem is that they might need to know the words better and not remember anything they read or talked about before. Students may arrive with minimal prior preparation when the teacher assigns primary sources. They may be unable to connect the words in the title or first line to anything in their own experience or to place the topic in a historical or personal perspective. Hence, students need to prepare to face learning material and may need more motivation. Based on the explanation above, the role of the teacher is essential to find the right strategy to prepare students for teaching and learning. A teacher's strategy will impact how well the students learn and how successful the teaching process is. Strategies allow students to reflect on what they have learned and to share what they have learned. Word splash is a preparatory strategy. Dorsey Hammond, a reading researcher at Oakland University in Rochester. Michigan, develops it. The Word Splash Strategy allows students to learn new words and ideas before they start reading and helps them figure out how those ideas might be related. This strategy can help students improve their vocabulary by allowing them to guess words before they read the passage and connect new words or ideas to the passage's main idea. Word Splash is a learning strategy that stimulates thinking around a topic. It is a collection of words around a topic arranged in a handout (Begum, 2018, p. Before learners read the whole content of a passage, they are directed to make word predictions dealing with the topic. Giving a group of words reminds the learner of what they already know about the topic, which helps them learn words. Sheakoski . said that Word Splash is a teaching strategy that makes vocabulary acquisition easier for LITERATURE REVIEW Definition of Vocabulary Vocabulary is an integral component of learning English that students must grasp to communicate effectively. Hatch and Brown . 5, p. say that vocabulary is a list or collection of terms for a particular language or words that a person who speaks that language might use. Vocabulary is the instrument we use to think, convey ideas and feelings, and learn about the world (Vossoughi, 2009, p. Pikulski and Templeton . say that a student's vocabulary is all the words he or she knows how to use and understand. Based on the definitions, a "vocabulary" is a group of words used to communicate when learning a These words come in both written and spoken forms. Aspects of Vocabulary Brown . says that vocabulary has many parts, such as Meaning. Spelling. Pronunciation. Word classes, and how words are used. Meaning A single word can mean many different things depending on how it is used. To help the students figure out what it means, the teacher may use guided exploration, contextual hypothesis, and dictionaries. Students are trained to understand a topic correctly through guided exploration using questions and examples. Using questions and examples will help them remember the word and what it means much better. A contextual hypothesis is an educated guess based on the context in which a word appears or, in some cases, a prediction based on the word itself. Spelling Spelling is vital for learning vocabulary since it facilitates reading. There may be more than one correct way to write the same word in the same type of English or, more often, in different kinds of English, as with many British and American English terms. Pronunciation is how words are spoken. Because the Pronunciation of a word is unrelated to its Spelling, it is challenging to learn. Effective pronunciation facilitates communication. Word classes are word categories. Students should be familiar with grammatical patterns like countable and uncountable nouns, verb complementation, phrasal verbs, adjectives, and adverbs (Kareem, 2000, p. Their function in communication determines this classification of a language's words. Nouns can occur in particular positions inside sentences and perform specific functions. Verbs also happen in certain situations and have different Hence, a word class is an essential part of the language. Word use Word usage is the word, phrase, or notion employed in a language. it can also entail grammar and is thus the topic of many examinations. Words Classification Hatch and Brown . divide the vocabulary . into two functional There are both major and closed classes. They are explained with examples Major Classes . Nouns It refers to a person, place, or thing, i. Maria, teacher, book, etc. Proper nouns, like Betsy and Ohio, differ from common nouns, like woman, state, and chair. Abstract nouns, like hope, attention, and love, differ from concrete nouns . hair, table, and ba. Count nouns, like a bank, government club, and choir, differ from other nouns that refer to people because they refer to the group as a unit ("The choir performs every Sunday" versus "The singer performs every Sunday"). Verbs It relates to action-descriptive words. According to Hatch & Brown . 5: . , verbs are divided into four categories: Activities. Achievement. Accomplishment, and States. Adjectives It refers to the words that give more information about a noun or pronoun. Positive qualities, such as. good, beautiful, diligent, and kind . Negative qualities, such as "bad, wicked, and "lazy. Adverbs Refer to words that change how a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or a whole sentence is understood. Adverbs generally attribute characteristics to verbs, phrases, or complete sentences instead of nouns. Such as: here, there, now, rapidly, and significantly. Closed Classes . Pronoun: it refers to nouns that have already been mentioned,i. , she, they, her, etc. Preposition refers to the words that help locate items and actions in time and space, i. , at, on, beside, under, and between. Conjunction: it refers to the words that connect sentences, phrases, or clauses, i. , and so, but, etc. Determiner: it refers to the words used before a noun to indicate which the specific case of the noun is being discussed, i. , the, a, an, your, that, this, those, and others. In conclusion, there are four categories of word classes, namely nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, which must be mastered to acquire an extensive Teaching Vocabulary Doff . 8: . , cited in Tuan . 2: . , asserts that there are four steps in teaching vocabulary, namely presentation, practice, production, and review. Presentation Presentation is one of the most important facets of teaching vocabulary. It signifies that a new lexical element is being introduced to learners. According to Thornbury . , students must learn the meaning and form of elementary. Grains & Redman . suggest that visual tactics, verbal techniques, and translation teach new vocabulary items. Visual techniques include mime, gesture, and visual . Verbal techniques. use of ideal situations, synonyms and definitions, contrast and opposite, and type examples. Translation. According to Grains & Redman . , it is a rapid and straightforward method of conveying the meaning of language. Practice If a teacher just explains the meaning of new words, students may quickly forget them. According to Thornbury . 2: . , "practice makes perfect," hence the teacher should provide vocabulary exercises so that students can practice the new words. Production In this stage, students are encouraged to execute advanced activities, such as production tasks (Thornbury, 2002: . The kids should create something of their own accord. Thus, students will transform receptive words into productive ones and commit them to long-term memory (Thornbury 2002: . Review According to Davies & Pearse . 0: . , cited in Tuan . 2: . , reviewing is new work on old language, a problem that requires imagination and originality. It increases the effectiveness of teaching and acquiring vocabulary. Students can use words and obtain comments during the reviewing phase. Methodologists concur that communicative activities are the most effective technique to help students review vocabulary. In addition, visual tools can make vocabulary reviews more engaging and efficient. Revision can be accomplished individually or in collaboration. According to Doff . 8: . , cited in Tuan . 2: . , vocabulary is mainly examined during the warm-up process. It means that teachers review previously taught terminology. The purpose is to refresh students' memories or prepare them for a new presentation. Learning Vocabulary Rubin . defines learning as acquiring, storing, retrieving, and applying According to Lado . 2: . , the following strategies may be employed to assist children in learning and understanding vocabulary: By using a dictionary A language student must possess a solid vocabulary. When students have difficulty grasping the meaning of a term, they can use dictionaries efficiently if they are conscious of their limitations and reference them just to discover a brief definition. By using a notebook One of the most efficient strategies to regulate the acquisition of new words is to carry a notebook in one's pocket to jot down words whenever one sees them. By guessing meaning Students frequently encounter words whose precise meaning is unnecessary to comprehend the phrase, especially when reading. Therefore, students wait to consult a dictionary whenever they see an unfamiliar word. They must wait to see if another context element clarifies its interpretation. The students must construct phrases with the vocabulary Students may work individually or in groups when constructing sentences. Word Splash Strategy It was originally develop by Dorsey Hammond, a reading researcher at Oakland University in Rochester. Michigan. Word Splash is a learning strategy that stimulates thinking around a topic. It is a collection of words around a topic arranged in a handout (Begum, 2018, p. Setiyawan and Amumpuni . 8, p. say that Word Splash allows students to simultaneously use what they already know and discuss essential vocabulary terms. In other words, this strategy is usually used as a preview activity to get learners interested in the topic. Sheakoski . said that Word Splash is a teaching strategy that makes vocabulary acquisition easier for students. The South Dakota Department of Education . says that Word Splash helps students remember words they already know, figure out what word related to a concept means, and find repetitions of critical ideas important to the new lesson. Based on definitions, it concludes that a word splash is a group of words centered around a topic. The words are connected to the topic on a page in various directions. Procedure of Word Splash Strategy Learning strategies require the use of procedures. Based on the concept of Stone . , the procedures for implementing the Word Splash strategy are as follows. The teacher selects six or seven important words from the text. The teacher posts the words on the board or makes copies for the students. Have the students read the keyword of the text. Ask the students to think about the word and predict how the word may connect and what the text may be about. Then, ask the students to write a sentence on the board about their prediction. Students should work in pairs or groups to discuss their predictions. When students share their predictions, other students can learn more. After sharing, the teacher gives students text to read to check their prediction's Then, the students revise their original sentence . and the information on the text that has been read. The first activity in Stone . states, "The teacher selects 6-7 or more important words from the text. Ay In this section, the teacher selects words as a clue about the text that will be studied. In this activity, the teacher uses Malin Kundang's narrative story. x: old mother, poor boy, ship, rich, big storm, cursed, ston. The second activity in Stone . states, "The teacher posts the words on the board or makes copies for the Have the students read the keyword of the text. Ask the students to think about the word and predict how the word may connect and what the text may be aboutAy. In this section, the teacher gives a worksheet to the students and asks them to answer the question. The question in the worksheet includes finding the meaning of keywords and making sentence predictions of the keywords. The third activity in Stone . states, "Then ask the students to write a sentence on the board about their prediction. Ay. In this section, the teacher asks the students to write their sentences prediction on the board. This activity allows students to add more knowledge from each other. The fourth activity in Stone . states that AuStudents should either work in pairs or with group to discuss their predictions. When students share their predictions, other students can learn more. Ay In this section, the teacher divides the students into four groups of 4-5 students each. The teacher then instructs the students to discuss to gain additional knowledge with another group. The last activity in Stone . states, "After sharing, the teacher gives students text to read to check how close their prediction was. Then, the students revise their original sentence . as well as the information on the text that has been read. Ay In this section, the teacher gives corrections and evaluates their worksheets after students share their predictions. It supposes to motivate students to learn English actively by using the word splash strategy. Students are also encouraged to get long memorizing of the words and their meanings. The Advantages of the Word Splash Strategy Siregar . 3, p. says that the advantages of using the Word Splash strategy are encouraged, developing prediction skills, and setting the scene. It creates the learnersAo sense of discovery, leads them to focus on a topic or issue, and benefits group or pair sharing. Students become interested in the words' meanings by having them displayed in the classroom from the beginning. They should read the words and guess what they mean. Additionally, the students get more jobs in learning, which makes them more active. The Challenges of the Word Splash Strategy According to Setiyawan and Amumpuni . , three challenges exist when using the word splash strategy. Students need help constructing prediction sentences. The students are confused about the procedure of the Word Splash Strategy when the teacher only discusses it once. When a teacher selects a text unfamiliar to students, it is hard for them to understand the lesson. Word Splash in Learning Vocabulary Pei. defined strategy as a method, plan, or stratagem to achieve some goals. In this era, many practical strategies are effective in the classroom. It is up to the school and the education teacher to ensure that the right strategies are used to help students with special needs learn in ways that work for them. In this study, the writer chooses the Word Splash Strategy to help students learn vocabulary because most students like to learn English if they can understand the unfamiliar words in the text. The Word Splash strategy can tap into studentsAo prior knowledge about a topic before encountering it in the classroom. The Word Splash strategy directs students to predict the words dealing with the topic. This strategy can help students improve their vocabulary by allowing them to guess words before they read the passage and connect new words or ideas to the passage's main idea. According to Lado . , the following strategies may assist students in learning and understanding Using a dictionary, using a notebook, and guessing meaning. Those aligned with the Word Splash Strategy procedure can make vocabulary acquisition easier. Sheakoski . said that Word Splash is a teaching strategy that makes vocabulary acquisition easier for students. The Differences between Word Splash and Vocabulary Self-Collection Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy (VSS) According to Maghfuri . , as cited in Rahman et al. The Vocabulary Self Collection Strategy is an interactive learning instructional strategy that encourages word consciousness by getting students actively involved in choosing significant words from their reading g to share with their classmates. According to Kuswari U. , the model of Vocabulary Self-Collection is as follows: a The students select the words that will be studied. Students nominate words or terms they want to learn more about from the text they read. a The strategy focuses on words or a term important for students, the words they want and need to know in learning vocabulary. a The Strategy encourages vocabulary mastery and development in the long term. a The Strategy helps students become independent word learners. Students have the opportunity to select relevant words to learn as vocabulary. Word Splash Strategy Kenzie and Marcovchick . said that a Word Splash is a collection of words, phrases, or concepts from a reading that students are about to read. The Word Splash functions are as follows: a This strategy is used as a preparatory strategy a The teacher provides the words that will be studied. a The important word to learn is "splash" on the board. a This strategy helps students improve their vocabulary by allowing students to find meaning, predict words before reading the passage, and connect new words or ideas to the passage's main idea. a The Strategy helps students develop prior knowledge. Previous Study Fotzer. , an English teacher at William Penn High School in New Castle. Delaware, reports how effective the Word Splash Strategy is as an activating and excellent assessment strategy. She shared how she created a word splash in her literature lesson, and from that word splash, students could understand the text and even rewrite the story in their own words, which was so good. At that time. Pfotzer asked the students to use the entire word splash to create a story about romantic literature. However, first of all, students must know and show the meaning of the splashed words. All the students worked hard to complete the assignment. When the students returned the assignment, they presented an incredible four-page story. These students showed evidence of learning by using the word splash strategy. The result showed that most of the students in Pfotzer's class could present very well. The students could also answer the question by Pfotzer dealing with their assignment, which means that the strategy effectively improved their ability to comprehend the lesson. Risnayanti . conducted a study titled "Teaching Reading Comprehension by Combining Word Splash Strategy and Teammate Consult Strategy at the Eight Grade of SMPN 1 Seenapadang. " This study aimed to see if there was an improvement in reading student learning outcomes at SMPN 1 Sesenapadang eighth-grade students after using a combination of the Word Splash strategy and the Teammate Consult strategy. The preexperiment method was used in this study, with one class receiving the pre-test, treatment, and post-test. The cluster random sampling technique was used in this study, and the total sample size was 30 students. The findings revealed significant differences in improving students' reading skills, with the average score pre-test 63. 33 and post-test 78. The average post-test score was higher than the pre-test . > 63. According to the findings of the study, the Combining Word Splash Strategy and the Teammates Consult Strategy improved teaching reading comprehension among eighth-grade students at SMPN 1 Sesenapadang. CONCLUSION & SUGGESTION As a result of the explanation above. Word Splash enabled students to understand the The Word Splash strategy directs students to predict the words dealing with the topic. This strategy can help students improve their vocabulary by allowing them to predict words before they read the passage and connect new words or ideas to the passage's main idea. These activities help students enhance vocabulary simultaneously. The implementation of Word Splash in various studies has proven to be successful in promoting student participation in the teaching-learning process, making it an effective strategy to enhance vocabulary. Based on this conclusion, the writer offers suggestions for English teachers. Firstly, they should encourage active learning to make the English language learning experience easier and more enjoyable for students. By fostering student engagement, teachers can create an interactive classroom environment that facilitates language acquisition. Additionally, to keep the class engaging and prevent student boredom, teachers should employ creativity when designing teaching and learning activities. incorporating innovative approaches, teachers can ensure that students remain motivated and actively involved in their English language education. For future researchers, it is recommended to explore the application of the Word Splash Strategy in different educational levels, such as elementary or senior high school. This would provide valuable insights into the strategy's effectiveness across various age groups and academic contexts. Furthermore, investigating the use of the Word Splash Strategy in teaching reading comprehension could offer new perspectives on enhancing students' reading skills and comprehension abilities. By expanding the research on Word Splash, educators can continue to explore and refine this strategy to optimize its impact on vocabulary acquisition and overall language learning outcomes. REFERENCES