evening playing games with friends, takes this happy feeling into reality. In this grammatical snakes and ladders game, there are many things to do;
1. Care and Share 2. Do: Move, Mime, Dray, and Obey
3. Describe 4. Connect: Compare, Match, Group
5. Order 6. Remember
7. Create.
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d. The Use of Game in Learning English
Wright, et. al, states about the use of game that games also help the teacher to create contexts in which the language is useful and
meaningful. The learners want to take part and in order to do so must understand what others are saying or have written, and they must
speak or write in order to express their own point of view or give information.
24
From the statement above that the meaningfulness in language learning has been accepted for some years. A useful interpretation of
meaningfulness is that the learners respond to the content in a definite way. If they are amused, angered, intrigued or surprised the content is clearly
meaningful to them. Thus the meaning of the language they listen to, read, speak and write will be more vividly experienced and better remembered. If it
is accepted that games can provide intense and meaningful practice of language, then they must be regarded as central to a teachers repertoire.
Another Wright, et.al statement that language learning is hard work. Effort is required at every moment and must be maintained over a
long period of time. Games help and encourage many learners to s
ustain their interest and work. In addition, Games also help the teacher to create contexts in which the language is useful and
meaningful. The learners want to take part and in order to do so must understand what others are saying or have written, and they must
speak or write in order to express their own point of view or give information. And also, Games can provide intense and meaningful
practice of language.
25
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Andrew Wright, et.al, Games for Language Learner, Cambridge: University Press 2006, P. 43
24
Wright, et.al, p.1
25
Andrew Wright, et.al, Games for Language Learning 2nd. Ed., Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1984, p.1. access on Wednesday, 21
st
of April 2010 at 10.53 am
From the statement above that an effort to supplement lesson plans in the classroom, teachers often turn to games. The justification for using
games in the classroom has been well demonstrated as benefiting students in a variety of ways. These benefits range from cognitive aspects of language
learning to more co-operative group dynamics. Marianne Celce Murcia in her book states that when ESL
student are engaged in games or problem solving activities, they use language is task oriented and has a purpose beyond the production of
correct speech, this make these activities ideal for communicative practice grammar if, in fact, the activities can structured to focus
learners’ attention on a few specific forms before the communicative practice.
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It means that game is useful for making a good communicative in learning grammar, almost the student just remember the formula, and make the
sentence according to the formula, but with game the student can develop their grammar unconsciously.
Table.2.7General Uses of Games
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Affective Cognitive Class
Dynamics Adaptability
- lowers affective filter
- encourages creative and
spontaneous use of language
-promotes communicative
competence - motivates
- fun
- reinforces - reviews and
extends - focuses on
grammar communicativ
ely - student centered
- teacher acts only as facilitator
- builds class cohesion
- fosters whole class participation
- promotes healthy
competition
- easily adjusted for age, level,
and interests - utilizes all four
skills - requires
minimum preparation after
development
26
Marianne Celce Murcia, and Hilles Sharon, Technique and Resources in Teaching Grammar, New York: Oxford University Press, 1988, p. 59.
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M. Martha Lengeling and Casey MalarcherForum Vol. 35 No 4, October - December 1997 Page 42.
CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODHOLOGY
A. The Aims of Study
The aims of study is developing and improving student understanding in learning simple past tense by using grammatical snakes and
ladders game.
B. The Place and Time of Study
This action research is in Madrasah Tsanawiyah Pembangunan UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, the location is on Ibnu Taimia Street No. IV
Komplek UIN Jakarta. The action research was held from 10
th
of February to 1
st
of June 2010.
C. Population and Sample
In this research, the writer took population from the Eight Grade students in Madrasah Tsanawiyah Pembangunan UIN Jakarta. The total
population is 245 students from 7 classes. Then the writer took the students of C class with the total is 35 students as the sample of research using the
purposive cluster sampling technique.
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