Fun learning also become important in teaching English for children. Based on Depdiknas 2008: 23, one of the methodology in teaching of English
for children is creating fun condition through fun games and activities or interesting media and change the activities each 10-15 minutes. The fun learning
proposed by Depdiknas should be considered of children characteristics. In line with children characteristic, Depdiknas suggest the teachers to use fun learning
activities including challenging games, stories, and songs to make the teaching process more interactive, interesting and meaningful.
c. Resources in Fun Learning
From the previous theory, fun learning strategy has five components namely the interest, the involvement, the meaningfulness, the material
comprehension, and the enjoyable value. Those components belong to some activities proposed by Depdiknas, such as songs, games.
Children in the worlds naturally love songs. That is a nature of human being. However, in the teaching and learning process those are beneficial,
especiallly for elementary school students. One of benefits of song is giving motivation and fun to the students. The other benefits of songs, chants, and
rhymes for language learning are proposed by Brewster and Ellis 2004:162-163 as follows:
a A linguistic resources 1. They allow new language to be introduced and structures and
vocabulary to be reinforced and recycled 2. The present unfamiliar language in new and exciting forms and in a
rich and imaginative context 3. They provide for lots natural and enjoyable repetition
4. They can be used to develop all skills in an integrated way b A psychological affective resource
1. They are motivating and fun and help develop positive attitudes towards and the target language
2. They are non-threatening and the more inhibited child will feel secure when singing and chanting as a class or in groups
3. They can encourage a feeling of achievement and build children’s confidence by allowing children to learn chunks of language which
they can ‘show off’ or teach to friends or to members of the family c A cognitive resources
1. They help to develop concentration, memory and coordination 2. They sensitize children to rhyming clues as aids to meaning
3. Repetition enables children to predict what comes next and to consolidate language items
4. Accompanying actions or gestures to help to reinforce meaning 5. The variety they provide changes the pace and atmosphere of a
lesson and caters for different styles 6. They can be compiled into songrhyme books to help children
develop good study habits d A cultural resource
1. They are form authentic sources and can contribute to the cultural component of a language programme. Children can be encouraged to
compare with those on their own language e A social resource
1. Singing and chanting together is a shared social experience and helps to develop a class and group identity
2. They can be used as the basis for performance or show Songs have elements of fun learning as explained below:
a. The Interest. From the statement from Brewster and Ellis 2004:162-163 related to a
linguistic resources, the songs provide students with unfamiliar language in new and exciting forms and in a rich and imaginative context. The exciting
forms and imaginative context can lead to the students’ interest. b. The Involvement.
Brewster and Ellis 2004: 163 also explain the benefits of songs as a social resource. They state that singing and chanting together is a shared social
experience and helps to develop a class and group identity. It leads to the
