In this technique, the teacher can use a context clue in word recognition by figuring out the meaning of a word based on the clues in the surrounding
context, for example by giving the antonym, synonym, etc. 3. Teaching vocabulary through translation
This method is considered as ancient one. Here, the teacher teaches the meaning of the word through translation. For example, the word ‘clean’ in
Indonesian means ‘bersih’. 4. Teaching vocabulary through guessing
In this case, the teacher can encourage the students to guess the word first and then consult it. To guess the right word, a student should have a good rationale.
The teacher can draw five pictures on the board, and then the teacher pronounces a word and asks one of students to point the picture meant.
5. Teaching vocabulary through derivation This technique requires the teacher to involve the four classes of words on the
basis of their position of occurrences in English sentence pattern. The teacher can give noun, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
According to five possible ways of teaching vocabulary above, guessing game will be applied as a technique to teach English vocabulary in this research. One of
techniques in teaching vocabulary through creativity is game, so guessing game is included in teaching vocabulary through creativity.
2.4 Concept of Games in Language Teaching
Learning a foreign language is a hard work, one must make an effort to understand and repeat words accurately. English teacher has to have a good plan
to motivate the children, to enrich vocabulary mastery by using drills and exercise. However, in reality the children fell bored with these techniques because
the process is monotonous. If teacher keep using these techniques, the children cannot improve their English to solve this problem, the English teacher has to
create his teaching with certain technique that enables him to avoid the technique, which is boring.
Since English subject in elementary school is still new, English teacher needs to find out good techniques that can make the children interested in learning English.
In this case, Khan 1992 stated: “Children play and children want to play. Children learn through playing. In playing together, children interact and in
interacting, they develop language skills. Games provide context for play, reason for playing and routine for playing.”
Through games, children are stimulated to know more vocabulary in order to win the game. If they do not understand the meaning of the words, even only a word
they will lose a chance. By this technique, the children will learn as many words as they can.
The teacher has to plan some activities that make their children enjoy learning foreign language by using games .This technique makes teaching learning foreign
language more creative, relaxed, and fun. The advantages of games will help the teacher to facilitate learning without
putting an awareness of losing her class. Games lead the students to a condition where they feel fun, comfort, enjoyable without leaving the purpose of learning.
Teaching English by using game is obviously a positive solution for the teacher to improve the monotonous and boring class of English. Thus, the teacher task is to
select a game that is suitable for students’ level and abilities.
What the expected for every language teacher in the whole world is becomes making the transfer of knowledge become easier and more comfortable for the
students by using any kinds of teaching aids, including games. Hadfield 1999 stated that a game is an activity with rules, a goal and an element of fun.
Meanwhile Harmer 1991 said that games are a vital part of a teacher’s equipment, not only for the language practice they provide, but also for the
therapeutic effect they have. They can be used at any stage of a class to provide an amusing and challenging respite from other classroom activity about their English
class. In addition, the teacher can use language games to introduce new items, to
practice recently learnt language items, to introduce or practice certain themes, or to relax or energize the class. Some can be used for all of these. One of the best
ways to get children interested in a game is to have them participate actively in its creation. Producing a game gives the students a sense of achievement while
integrating the game into other areas of the language class and the children’s general education. Unfortunately, many teachers still feel that game is only for a
short time, to give a class break from the monotony of drilling, and some teacher consider games merely frivolous activity.
Savignon 1987 has three reasons why games have to be used in learning foreign language, they are:
1. The very structure of games provides an opportunity for learners to practice vocabulary and grammar, specific function and other language art skills. The
task orientation of the games requires that the students “use rather than merely practice language for real and immediate communicative goals” on
the other hands require constant, meaningful interaction among the players. 2.
They created relaxed atmosphere. This lowers the anxiety level or “effective filter” that often keeps students from learning. Games accomplish this in two
ways. First, games focus the learner’s attention on the immediate goal that is succeeding at the same itself, rather than in the responsibility of language
teaching. Second, whether the Game is competitive or not, it requires cooperation. This contributes to the development of a sense group that lend in
turn to feeling of support and security among the group members. As the result, the learners are less anxious and more open and able to communicate.
3. Games offer strategy for dealing with problems that may arise from code implication. Teacher to provide communication at a level the learners can
understand often uses code implication.
Moreover, according to Crookal and Oxford 1990 game can encourage good strategy in learning foreign language. They are:
a. Games embody the communicative approach; they provide active involvement of the whole person intellectual, physical, social and
emotional. b. Games change the roles and relations of learners to take more active role in
their own learning process. This has eight effects: 1. It gives learners much more opportunity to communicate in the language.
2. It places more responsibility on learning to direct their own learning. 3. Game provides language quantities of input, which can be understood
because of meaningful and engaging context the activity. 4. Game allows attention to be given to language form as well as to content.
5. Game has additional effective advantages, such as education of anxiety increased in positive feelings and improves self-confidence.
6. Game can make the participant encourage to communicative even when their knowledge and competence in the language is less than they would wish.
7. Games have the learners to identify more closely with the target culture’
8. Game encourages adolescents and adult to once again play with symbols.
From the explanation above, we know that game is from of play and can be used as a vital part of a teacher’s equipment in English teaching. Games can also use
for motivation the students. Thus, by using game in teaching English, the students will motivate
eagerly and the students’ ability will be better too. The games make use of a variety of techniques, variety being important in language teaching.
Hadfield 1999 classifies language games into some types, namely:
1. Sorting, ordering, or arranging games. For example, students have a set of cards with different products on them, and they sort the cards into products
found at a grocery store and products found at a department store. 2. Information gap games. In such games, one or more people have information
that other people need to complete a task. For instance, one person might have a drawing and their partner needs to create a similar drawing by listening to the
information given by the person with the drawing. Information gap games can involve a one-way information gap, such as the drawing game just described,
or a two-way information gap, in which each person has unique information, such as in a Spot-the-Difference task, where each person has a slightly
different picture, and the task is to identify the differences. 3. Guessing games. These are a variation on information gap games. One of the
best known examples of a guessing game is 20 questions, in which one person thinks of a famous person, place, or thing. The other participants can ask 20
YesNo questions to find clues in order to guess who or what the person is thinking of.
4. Search games. These games are yet another variant on two-way information gap games, with everyone giving and seeking information. Find Someone Who
is a well known example. Students are given a grid. The task is to fill in all the cells in the grid with the name of a classmate who fits that cell, e.g., someone
who is a vegetarian. Students circulate, asking and answering questions to complete their own grid and help classmates complete theirs.
5. Matching games. As the name implies, participants need to find a match for a word, picture, or card. For example, students place 30 word cards; composed of
15 pairs, face down in random order. Each person turns over two cards at a time, with the goal of turning over a matching pair, by using their memory.
Labeling games. These are a form of matching, in that participants match labels and pictures.
6. Exchanging games. In these games, students barter cards, other objects, or ideas. Similar are exchanging and collecting games. Many card games fall into
this category, such as the children’s card game go fish. 7. Board games. Scrabble is one of the most popular board games that specifically
highlights language. 8. Role play games. The terms role play, drama, and simulation are sometimes
used interchangeably but can be differentiated. Role-play can involve students playing roles that they do not play in real life, such as dentist, while
simulations can involve students performing roles that they already play in real life or might be likely to play, such as customer at a restaurant. Dramas are
normally scripted performances, whereas in role plays and simulations, students come up with their own words, although preparation is often useful.
Language learning is a hard task, which can sometimes be frustrating. It needs some consideration before choosing the game. It is supported by Tyson 2000:4
who states that there are some factors that should be considered before choosing the games; they are a a game must be more than just fun. b A game should
involve friendly competition. c A game should keep all of the students involved and interested. d A game should encourage students to focus on the use
of language rather than on the language itself. e A game should give students a chance to learn, practice, or review specific language material.
Those factors are very important in selecting the games since there are so many kinds of game that are sometimes overlap. As stated by Hadfield 1999,
classifying games into categories can be difficult, because categories often overlap.
Based on the statement above, by applying language game in teaching English vocabulary the students will interest in learning, because game make students
enjoyable and fun in learning process and the students get many new vocabularies.
2.5 Concept of Guessing Game
