Riddles as Media in English Language Teaching

2.2 Riddles as Media in English Language Teaching

Anderson 2009:2 states that riddles are a good way to teach inference, using clues to determine a specific answer. In addition, she states that riddles increase background knowledge, enhance deductive and inductive thinking skills, and improve visual imaging needed for better reading skills. According to Malia Sullivan quoted in Anderson, 2009:2, riddles are a wonderful and fun way for children to understand that words can have more than one meaning. Therefore, u sing riddles as media is one of fun ways of learning. “It can be concluded that riddle is usually presented to someone who knows that a riddle is asked and accepted the challenge of guess the correct response. The guesser may get one or multiple guesses and the asker gives clues. There is usually one correct answer to a riddle, and it is common for the correct answer to be given, even if the guesser does not think of it. Riddles show up the playful nature of language in an easily manageable form” Mardan, 2009. From the statement above, riddles are one of the media that can be used for teaching vocabulary. It is because riddles can create the relaxing atmosphere in learning English and this media is effective for the eleventh grade students. Students need relaxing atmosphere because it can increase their interest and motivation during teaching and learning process. By presenting riddles, students can be more careful in finding the answer of the clues. They should solve the mystery of the answer and they felt be challenged to guess the riddles. There are two types of riddles. They are enigma and conundrums. An enigma is a problem in which the solution is expressed metaphorically. Meanwhile, a conundrum is a question that opens either the question or the answer. This research focused on an enigma. In addition, there are eight riddles that the researcher chose as the examples in teaching learning process. The titles are “Beetle”, “Cat”, “Fish”, “Dolphin”, “Pencil”, “Book”, “Stapler”, and “Shoes. Riddles as media in English language teaching have many functions. Based on Moshier 2011, there are three advantages of riddles in English teaching learning process in the classroom. First, it is a fun way of learning. It can motivate students in learning vocabulary. Riddles can make the students active in teaching learning process because the students feel challenged to guess the riddles. Second, it comes in a huge range. Riddles provide unique and huge collection of words that are meaningful for students especially for quiet students. Third, it is brain training. It helps students study and memorizes the words easily. By presenting riddles, students can be more careful in searching the clues. In addition, it helps them solve the mystery. This activity can make the students easy to memorize the words. From the statements above, it can be clear that riddles offer some benefits in the teaching and learning process that enable the students to achieve their vocabulary achievement. Moreover, the use of riddles in vocabulary learning process can create relax atmosphere for the researcher and students, such us: interest, motivation, and challenge. It is clear that riddles can be used in teaching English vocabulary in the classroom.

2.3 The Implementation of Riddles as Media to Teach Vocabulary