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tasks or changing the language requirements of the challenge. And also the use of board games as part of school literacy can give the perceived benefits of:
1
Repetition and over-learning i.e. the repetition of something until it becomes second nature and increases the speed of recall;
2
Incorporating some forms of repetitive learning into game situations to increase enjoyment and help concentration and time on task;
3
Providing foundational knowledge for other more complex learning.
It is very cheap, easy, and useful to use board games as an alternative method to improve vocabulary mastery.
4. Teaching English for Young Learners
Singleton 1989: 242-245 stated that there are some reasons for teaching English at primary level, namely: 1 the need to expose children from an early age
to an understanding of foreign cultures so that they grow up tolerant and sympathetic to others; 2 the need to link communication to understanding of new
concept; 3 the need for maximum learning time for important languages the earlier you start the more time you get; 4 the advantages of stating with early
second language instruction so that the language can be used as a medium of teaching.
To help deciding material or method to give, teacher needs to know the characteristics of young learners. As proposed by Brumfit 1995: v, there are
some special characteristics of young learners.
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a Young learners are only just beginning their schooling, so that teachers have major opportunity to mould their expectations of
life in school. b As a group they are potentially more differentiated than
secondary or adult learners, for they are closer to their varied home cultures and new to the conformity increasingly imposed
across cultural groupings by the school.
c They tend to be keen and enthusiastic learners, without the inhibitions which older children sometimes bring to their
schooling. d Their learning can be closely linked with their development of
ideas and concepts, because it is so close to their initial experience of formal schooling.
e They need physical movement and activity as much as stimulation for their thinking, and the closer together these can be
the better.
Since children have those special characteristics,
teaching English for them cannot be regarded similarly as teaching adult. Not all of the English teaching
methods can be used to teach young learners. It should be based on their needs and characteristics.
B. Rationale
Teaching vocabulary for young learners is different to teaching vocabulary to adults. Young learners nearly hard to concentrate when attends a teaching and
learning process. Because of that, we need to find the way to attract them to learn. One way is by using board games. Board games are enjoyable and educating
in the same time. Young learners will give attention to something fun, so, we can hold their attention with board games because board games is a fun way to learn.
There are so many kinds of board games and it is nearly impossible to use them all, so, the writers limit it in the use of three board games only. They are
scrabble, bingo, and crossword puzzle.
