Empowering Learners with Role-Playing Game for Vocabulary Mastery

Abstract

The current issue of industrial revolution 4.0 in Indonesia opens many opportunities for innovation in education. This circumstance arouses researchers’ interest to create the most innovative strategies and techniques in language learning, especially in teaching vocabulary. It makes the use of computers as media inevitable. This research dealt with the use of computer Role-Playing Game (RPG) as vocabulary learning media. A quasi-experimental study was used to analyse the effect of the media on students’ vocabulary mastery. This research aimed to investigate the significant effect of RPG on students’ vocabulary mastery and also their responses toward the media. Comparative analysis using t- test calculation was employed. It worked with two groups: an experimental and a control group. The statistical result was analysed, and supported by students’ responses toward the game as a vocabulary learning tool, including its application in the classroom activities. Based on the statistical result, the experimental and control groups were significantly different. The experimental group tended to have a better rating than the control group. It was supported by the finding that students believed the media could force them to implicitly learn vocabulary. To some extents, the RPG was sufficient to develop students’ ability in mastering vocabulary. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.1.4