The Difficulties in Teaching Vocabulary

B. Game 1. The Nature of Game

Game is an activity which is entertaining and engaging, often challenging, and an activity in which the learners play and usually interact with others. 12 Also, game is an activity with rues, a goal and an element of fun. 13 In classroom activity, learners have some types of learning such as visual, audiovisual, kinesthetic, and audio. Therefore, in teaching vocabulary, teachers can use some techniques to facilitate students ’ need in presenting vocabulary. These techniques are visual technique, verbal techniques, and translation. a. Visual The technique includes pictures, realia, drawing, mime, gesture, flash card. In classroom, teachers can use power point in order to make their vocabulary presentation more interesting. This technique is useful for teaching concrete items of vocabulary such as description, place, actions, etc. b. Verbal The technique includes the use of illustrative situation of synonym and definition, contrast and opposite, and scale and example. This technique involves the use of spoken or written language. c. Translation The technique commonly used by teacher to present a new vocabulary. Teachers can use the dictionary, and e-translate in the classroom activity. 14 d. Kinesthetic The teacher will show a preference for demonstrations and physical activity involving bodily movement. 15 The teacher 12 Andrew Wright et al, Games for Language Learning, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2006, p. 1. 13 Jill Hadfield, Intermediate Grammar Games, Pearson Education, 2003, p. 4. 14 Ruth Gairns and Stuart Redman. Work ing with Words. A guide to teaching and learning vocabulary, Cambridge University Press, pp. 73 —75. usually use game like word clap game, this game can also be included in visual technique. As the writer experience and observation through several schools, game is really useful when teaching in the classroom. It can be helpful for both teacher and students. Students usually would be accepted the material with game easily and also the teacher could make the effective teaching through game. Furthermore, students usually more relaxed and enjoyed when they have to play with others students in the classroom. They play together without bad feeling because the activity that they do make they feel free. In classroom activity, it was generally found some teachers uses games for their teaching process not only in the school but also in course. So, the term of game concluded by the writer is an activity that have rules and can make people do with having fun and entertaining also sometimes makes the game became challenging because the students have to compete each other. In addition, games also have benefits for teaching and learning activity as follows: a. Games help and encourage many students to build their interest and work. b. Games help the teacher to create contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful. c. Games provide one way of helping the learners to experience language rather than merely study it. 16 In teaching and learning activity, game can be used for teacher to facilitate their students in order to make the learning process easier. However, in choosing the game, the teacher must be careful because teachers should consider students ’ level of learning. Some games may be difficult or boring for students so that for teaching vocabulary at eighth grade students, teacher may use creative games such as Board Game, 15 H. Douglas Brown. Strategies for Success: A Practical Guide to Learning English. Longman, 2002, p. 129. 16 Andrew Wright et al. op. cit., p. 2. Jeopardy, Bingo, Scrabble, Word Claps, Snake Words, etc. In this study, the writer used Word Claps game as a technique in teaching vocabulary.

2. Principles of Game Selection

In determining the role of games in developing student ’s vocabulary, the teacher needs to have their purpose clearly in mind if the major purpose is to make learning English vocabulary effective and successful. According to Wright, it is important to make sure that the game which is want to play is familiar with the students to reduce the difficulties in conducting the games. 17 It means that in using game in the class, the English teacher not only responsible in selecting game that want to use in the class but also in creating conditions in the class, in term conditioning students and the material. According to Houston, there are some principles of using games in the class: 18 a. Specify the purpose The teacher should know what the purpose of the games that he or she plays in the class. b. Explain the rules clearly before begin It is important to make sure the students understand how to play the games. The purpose of the game cannot be reached if the students do not understand how to play the game. It is fine if the teacher explains the rule in native ’s language. c. Be prepared for the “extra student” The teacher has to make sure all of the students join to the game. d. Avoid drifting off during the game 17 Ibid., p. 4. 18 Hall Houston ,’ Playing Games’ Modern English Teacher, Vol. 18 no. 1, p.33.