Another definition is from Allery 2004:40 who defines educational game as a competitive activity with a prescribed setting, constrained by rules and
procedures in which the learning results from playing the game and not from the academic content. Rules and procedures limit the exploration of the learners to
interact and behave when playing. However, through the limitation, the goal of the game should still be achieved. Therefore, learners should find out the solution
to this problem. Meanwhile, Sanchez, et al. 2007:65 define educational game as a way
in which learners get repeated exposure to an aspect of language without being boring. As a result, games create a fun atmosphere of English teaching and
learning. Based on the previous theories, in this study, an educational game is
defined as an activity containing educational content and learning principles to create fun and lovely atmosphere during the teaching learning process, but limited
by rules and procedures in the implementation. However, the implementation of educational games in teaching English language depends on the characteristics of
the participants of the study and objectives to be achieved in this study.
2.1.2.2 Characteristics of Educational Games
A game cannot be mentioned as educational just because it gives new knowledge to the learners. Nonetheless, Biocchi 2012 argues that an educational
game has to be able to help the learners develop their characteristics. Besides, it also offers some sort of social interaction in order to help the development of the
learners’ characteristics. Biocchi, further, explains that an educational game should never punished learners because of getting a wrong answer. Instead, it
should display the instructions again or have them solve a simpler problem. It means an educational game should create comfortable feeling for learners, so that
they can improve themselves. According to Harvey Bright 1985:5, an educational game should
involve a challenge against either a task or an opponent, but limited by a definite set of rules. It is also considered from two points of views, psychologically and
socially. A game is psychologically called educational if it does not separate from the real life situations, while socially if the events in the game reflect the
importance of social life and how to build social relationship. Of course, there are some problems might occur within the game, but an educational game should
provide the learners with possible solutions and a risk of ending the game if the solutions cannot be obtained. Furthermore, a game should be easily engaged by
learners to create simultaneous learning. Other researchers, McCarthy 2002:90 and Pham 2007:65, present
that to teach English language, an educational game focuses students attention on specific structures, grammatical patterns, vocabulary items, spelling, and
pronunciation. In other words, the game can be used within all skill areas in any language teaching situation. Moreover, it should have the functions as
reinforcement, revision and enrichment to the learned material. It means the game needs to implicitly contain knowledge. An educational game, furthermore,
provides a healthy competition and relax situation to let the learners enjoy the
process of the playing. However, it needs to provide feedback both for the learners and the teacher. To create successful learning, the age and language
levels of the learners should be considered as well in order to choose an appropriate game that is equal for both slow and fast learners.
As cited in Rainders 2009:2, Prensky 2001 argues that games share some characteristics. They are actually the representation of a story which
contains rules, goals and objectives to achieve by interaction. Games also offer learners with conflicts, competitions, challenges, and oppositions. Those problems
in games can be either solved or left abandoned. No matter what the result is, games should give outcome and feedback to learners to improve their playing
better. Based on the characteristics mentioned above, in this study, an
educational game not only provides fun and easiness to play, but also should consider the psychological and social development of the learners. Therefore, the
tasks and goals set by the rules need to accommodate the process of development considering the age and language levels of the learners. It means during the
playing the learners will face problems and an educational game should give the learners a chance to solve them. This situation teaches the learners to be able to
overcome problems coming to them in life.
2.1.2.3 Advantages of Using Educational Games
