<![CDATA[Vocabulary plays a fundamental role in English language learning, yet many junior high school students in Indonesia still face difficulties in recognizing English words due to limited vocabulary knowledge and conventional teaching methods. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Vocabulary Matching Activities in improving word recognition skills of Grade 7 students at SMP Negeri 13 Palu. Vocabulary Matching Activities were chosen because they combine visual and verbal associations and encourage more active learning compared to memorization-based techniques, while the study specifically focused on word recognition as an essential but often overlooked aspect of vocabulary development. A pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design was used with 28 students selected through purposive sampling. The results showed an improvement in mean scores from 60.95 to 71.85, with a significant difference (t(27) = 6.87, p < .001) and a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.30). These findings suggest that Vocabulary Matching Activities are effective in enhancing vocabulary recognition and can be applied by English teachers in junior high schools to support more engaging vocabulary learning and strengthen students’ reading development.]]>
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