CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. The Background of Study
Language plays an important role in the society. It is impossible to communicate and to understand other people without using a language. In a
certain place there is certain language,. example: in West Java is Sudanese, in Jakarta is Betawian, in Padang is Minang language, etc . Because every
community has their own language which is used in their life, the languages mastery are important for making a good communication; two languages or
more. And English language mastery is important for international communication.
English is widely used as a means of communication for people all over the world. English is the first foreign languages at school in Indonesia. It
is taught from Play Group or Kindergarten, and Elementary School as local content subject, also Junior and Senior High School as compulsory subject
and up to University. Many people are motivated to learn this language for their own needs; business purposes, occupation, getting a good position in a
company and others. Since this language has been taught in school, some problems
arose concerning with English subject, especially English grammar. Example; for the students: they have to learn, to remember, and to apply the formula in
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the sentences. In solving these problems ,the teachers should give student motivation in learning grammar, research the students’ difficulties in
grammar, find out a good solution for solving it problem, make a good grammar test, make good teaching strategies in grammar, etc.
According to Anthony in Marianne Celce Murcia’s Book that definite of our three purposes. An Approach to language teaching is
something that reflects a certain model or research paradigm – a theory if you like. This term is the broadest of the three. A method,
on the other hand, is a set of procedures, i. e., a system that spells out rather precisely how to teach a second or foreign language. It is more
specific than an approach but less specific than a technique. Methods are typically compatible with one or sometime two approaches. A
technique is a classroom and thus represents the narrowest of the three concepts.
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It means, approach is the broadest than method and technique, method is narrower than approach and broader than technique, and
technique is narrowest than approach and method. Also good technique in teaching learning process is needed for the teacher, because the teaching
technique as if the wing for the birds to fly. Based on the observation in Madrasah Tsanawiyah Pembangunan
UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, the writer found that grammar is the major complicated problem in English learning. One of the students’ problems in
learning English grammar is learning tenses, simple past tense. Especially, in: using the verb which one is; verb one, verb two or verb three, making
sentences affirmative, negative, and interrogative, and differentiating between verbal and nominal sentences in simple past tense. In addition, the
students don’t like to learn the formula or guidelines, because it must be remembered, and needed much time to learn it. Therefore, the writer is going
to apply a new strategy in developing student understanding by using grammatical snakes and ladders game in teaching simple past tense.
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Marianne Celce –Murcia, Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language, The United State of America: Heinle Heinle, a division of Thomson learning, Inc. 2001,
p. 5.
According to Richard and Rodger stated that” A variety of game, role plays, simulation, and task based communication activities have been
prepared to support Communicative language teaching classes.”
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From the statement above, a variety of game is one interesting technique for making good communication in the class. Through the game,
the students can enjoy the teaching learning process. Also if they study grammar by using the game, they don’t think too much about the formula or
guidelines, because they are studying while playing, they are remembering and learning the formula or guidelines unconsciously. In game are many
activities; grouping, competing, discussing, remembering, and many others fun activities.
Concerning to the observation, all of students at eight grade, C class of Madrasah Tsanawiyah Pembangunan UIN Syarif Hidayatullah
Jakarta are active, and several of them are past learning. Many students in Madrasah Tsanawiyah Pembangunan UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta want
to improve their understanding in learning English Grammar, so they need fun way for learning it.
Madrasah Tsanawiyah Pembangunan UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta is as State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta student lab
for teaching. Also, this school will be national Madrasah for being International school. In addition this school is suited for applying the new
teaching strategy in class action research. The writer is interested in making an action research by using
grammatical snakes and ladders game in teaching simple past tense because it’s about grammar, this is unique game, and this game has never been done
by English teacher in Indonesia but have ever been done by many teachers abroad like America, Singapore, Australia, etc. By using this grammatical
snakes and ladders game, the students are motivated to make a group,
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Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers, Approach and Method in language Teaching, The United State of America: Cambridge University Press, 1986, p. 80.
competition and discussion, and of course fun learning. Therefore, the writer is suggested to use this game in learning simple past tense.
Based on the research, the writer chooses simple past tense because this tense is one of the tense in English Grammar, and this simple past tense is
the basic study before studying others tenses in the past. The writer hopes that the student will not think “simple past tense is difficult”.
The goal of this research is to prove: Is grammatical snakes and ladders game able to develop student understanding in simple past tense?
B. The Limitation and Formulation of Problem
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