The Kinds of Games Use in Language Learning

1 memory game, it begins with one student saying a sentence and the next student in turn adding a words or phrases to the sentence repeated before. Students who make a mistake cannot continue the game; the last one standing is the winner. 2 word association, this game requires students to name all the words they know associated with any lexical category. One student says a word from a category, and then the next student must immediately say another word from a category. 3 miming, it is one of a guessing game. One student mimes an action and then the other student trying to guess the word. 4 guess the tool, this game done with the help of card containing a drawing of tools related to certain jobs. This game formed in a group and the other students who did not have the card can ask certain information that might be related with the drawing. 5 human sound, in this game the students are asked to make a sound related to situation given by the teacher. 6 suggestion chain, in doing this games the students should give a suggestion to their friend according to the situation occur. 7 notices and warnings, this games use two sets of cards. The first set contains phrases and sentences of different kinds that give information or warnings. The cards in the second set contain names of places where people would see or hear each other notice. 8 exaggerate, this game gives students the opportunity to practice strong adjectives by answering a question from a card. 9 expand the sentence, this game can be use to help students practice placing an adjective in correct order. 15 From the explanation guess the tool game are interesting games to do in class. Card games are easy to be applied and suitable to do in a big class. 15 Shalva Shaptosvili, Vocabulary Practice Games, English Teaching Forum Magazine, January 2002 Vol. 40, English Language Progams, U.S. Department of State, pp. 35-36. c. Furthermore Rinvolucri and Davis stated there are many kinds of language games: 1 competitive game, this game usually uses formats taken from radio and television games. The students are paired in a small group showing collaboration to defeat the other group. 2 cognitive game, this is collaborative sentence-making game. It exercises mostly open-ended, where the students expand one sentence into two utterances by adding either one or two words. 3 feeling and grammar, in this section the students concentrate on expressing real things about themselves and people round them. They do this using prescribe structure 4 listening to people, in this game students create a very atmosphere in a language classroom. The grammar is being practiced in a person centered atmosphere of concentration on meaning. 5 movement and grammar , this game offers student’s move while practicing and internalizing grammar. They are moving but not wasting time. 6 meaning and translation, this game allows the intermediate until the advance students to decide whether the sentences given are meaningful or rubbish. 7 problem solving, in this game students have to find multiple solutions to technical human and cultural problems. They also express themselves within a given set of vocabulary and structures. 16 From those kinds of games presented above, the writer concludes that the kind of games used in learning vocabulary depends on the materials and the situation of the class. The teacher should choose the suitable games for the 16 Mario Rinvolucri and Paul Davis, More Grammar Games. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005, pp. x-xiv. students. In this research the writer will only use card games as cooperative and competitive games in her classes.

3. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Games a. The advantages

There are many advantages from using games in language learning. Games could help reduce the boredom of drilling in language class, making students comfortable and improve their attention on the lesson. 1 Wright stated several advantages of games: games help and encourage many learners to sustain their interest and work. games also help the teacher to create context in which the language is useful and meaningful. The learners want to take a part in order to do so they 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. many games cause as much destiny of practice as more conventional drill exercise. games can be found to give practice in all the skills reading, writing, listening and speaking by making the language convey information and opinion, games provide the key future of „drill’ with the opportunity to sense the working of language as living communication. 17 The writer highlights the point that games can motivate students in learning a language, because games are a fun activity that could be practiced in learning a language. 2 In line with Wright, Ferguson explained some benefits of using games, they are: 17 Wright. loc. cit. games help the teacher create context in which language is useful and meaningful. games help the teacher build better class relationships and encourage class participation. games provide language practice review and consolidation in the various skills. games encourage the creative and spontaneous use of language and promote real communication. games are enjoyable and challenging but not threatening. They are a nice break from the normal routine of the language class. 18 The writer concluded that games can be very useful in learning new vocabulary. Games lead to creative activity, and promote real communication in class. Based on the statement above, the writer concludes there are many advantages of using games in teaching vocabulary. Games improve student’s motivation in learning English. Games also make the usual practice becomes more interesting and help them in practicing vocabulary they knew. Communication in the classroom also increased because of the use of games

b. The Disadvantages

Games are one of the alternative techniques used in teaching vocabulary; it also has several limitations. The writer assumes that it is not easy to use games in language learning. The teacher must understand the principle of language games first, what kinds of games that are suitable for their students’ and if it is applicable in their classes or not. Jeroti jeviĤ stated several disadvantages of using games in class, they are: 18 Marsue Ferguson and Harumi Manik Ayu Yamin eds., Becoming a Creative Teacher A Manual for Teaching English to Indonesian Elementary Students. Jakarta Pusat: Regional English Language Office RELO Public Affair U.S. Embassy, 2009 , p. 72.