CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1 contains introduction, consists of background of the research, statement of the

problem, objective of the study, significance of the study, and definiton of key terms.

1.1 Background of The Study

Learning English is very important, because English has become an international

language, which is used by most communities in the world. Many countries use English as their
second language. In spite of the difficulties in studying English, it is worthwhile to study the
language because it plays a very important role in almost all fields of life such as:
communication, commerce, economy, politics, education, science, technology and so on.

In Indonesia, English is not considered as a second language but English is a foreign

language. English is also called as the target language that has to be taught at school in todays
Indonesian curriculum. Therefore the students are hoped to improve their ability in English.

In improving the students ability in mastering English, the teachers have to think how to
make students mastered English for their own purposes. There are so many approaches, methods,
and also techniques that can be used by the teacher.

One technique that is used by the teacher to increase the students ability in English is by
using games. Through games, there are so many advantages for students and teachers in
teaching-learning process. The students can be more motivated and challanged. Games provide
language practice in various skills such like speaking, listening, writing, and reading. Games also
encourage students to interact and communicate each others.

This study examines the quality of games as a learning media for young learners because
games have been shown to have advantages and effectiveness in various ways. Therefore, the
role of games in teaching and learning cannot be denied. Whenever a game is being conducted,
the number of students, proficiency level, cultural context, timing, learning topic, and the
classroom settings are factors that should be taken into account.

One of the aims of teaching English is to enhance students to be able to understand

English words which they might find in their environment. In fact, students often find problems
in learning the words. So, it needs more teachers attention to make the transfer of the vocabulary
 process easier and more fun to learn. To do this, teachers are hoped to have ingenuity in teaching
by using any kind of teaching aids that already exist in their environment. One of those aids is
using games. The writer chooses games because games help and encourage many learners to
sustain their interest and work. With games student can have a lot of fun and get rid off their
tiresome during the lesson.

Based on the background above, the researcher decides to conduct a research entitled A
Descriptive Study: Games as Warming-Up Activities in Young Learners Classrooms at English
Courses in Banjarmasin.

1.2 Statement of Research Problem

The focus of this study will explained in researchs question below :

1. What are games being used in the teaching and learning process of English course to young
learners ?

2. What are the advantages and difficulties of implementing those games as warming-up
activities in young learners classroom?

1.3 Objective of The Research

The objective of this study are:

1. To know what are games that being used in teaching and learning process of English course to
young learners.

2. To find out the advantages and the difficulties in implementing the games as warming-up
activities in young learners classroom.

1.4 Significance of The Research

Theoretically, this study is intended to give empirical contribution and addition to the body of
knowledge on the advantages and the difficulties in implementing the games for young learners.
The findings are also expected to give practical contribution to English teachers, especially those
who teach English for young learners.
1.5 Definition of Key Terms

1. Game

Game is an entertaining and competitive activity involving skil, chance, and endurance
governed by set of rules.

2. Warming-Up

Warming-up activities are opening activities in pre-activity phase to warm up the

classroom situation.

3. Teaching Procedure

Teaching procedure is a set of teaching phases.

4. Young Learners

It refers to learners at the age of 6-12 years old, or first to six graders of elementary
school.
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

This chapter discusses review of literature, consists of definition of teaching, definition of

young learners, teaching English for young learner, teaching by using games and the importance
of teaching by using games.

2.1 Teaching

Teacher plays an important role in teaching learning process. In teaching English as a

foreign language, the teacher needs to vary way of teaching in order to get the students interest
and attention to the lesson. In teaching learning process, there are some factors which can
influence the successfulness of goals at school. They are curriculum, materials, method, teachers,
students and the technique.

Richey (1912:1) stated that : teaching may be considered to be basic to all the other
professions are made possible through the work of teachers in elementary and secondary school,
college, and university.

Furthermore Brown (1980:7) stated that : teaching is showing or helping someone how
to do something, given instruction, guiding in the study of something providing with knowledge,
causing to know or to understand. Teaching is building and facilitating learning, enabling the
learner to learn, setting the conditions for learning.

It means teaching is a systematic way. teacher as an organizer should be creative to make

learner interested in following the subject. Teaching may be said to cover not only activities of
guiding students activities but also those which aim in helping students to develop themselves
and be able to adapt themselves in the group which theyre belong. At the result of teaching the
students should be able to interest in their group. They are learning to think, feel, and act in
harmony through social groups of which they are as a part.

2.2 The Definition of Young Learners

Young learners are referring to a student in five to ten years old (Scott and Ytreberg
1993:1). Reilly and Sheila (2003:3) define young learners as children who have not yet started
compulsory shooling and have not yet started to read and can mean children up to the age of
seven.
 http://www.ials.ed.ac.uk/teacher/courses/Summer07/YoungLearners.htm defines young
learners as students in eight to eleven years old. But www.teyl.com has a different meaning about
that, it states that young learners as children aged six to twelve.

Meanwhile, http://www.york.ac.uk/celt/teyl/ma_teyl.htm defines young learners as the

students in aged six to sixteen years old.

Based on the consideration above, the writer can conclude that young learners are the
children up to the age of six years old and who have not yet started compulsory schooling and
also have not yet read. But in our country, Indonesia, the children up to six years old mostly
already started to school and have already read also.

2.2.1 The Characteristic of Young Learners

Teaching a foreign language especially English to young learners is different with

teaching a foreign language to adults or adolescents students. Cameron (2001:1) states that some
differences in teaching foreign language to young learners are immediately obvious :

Children are more enthusiastic and lively as learners. They want to please the teacher rather
than their peer group. They will have a go at an activity even when they do not quite understand
why or how. However, they also lose interest more quickly and are less able to keep themselves
motivated on tasks they find difficult. Children do not find it as easy to use language to talk
about grammar/dicourse. Children often seem less embrassed than adults at talking in a new
language, and their lack of inhibition seems to help them get a more native-like accent.
(Cameron (2001:1))

Scott and Ytreberg (1993:2-4) define some characteristics concerning with the
characteristics of young learners:

Some characteristics of young learners are they know tahat the world is governed by rules; they
use language skills begore they aware of them, they are very logical, have short attention and
concentration span, love to play and learn best when they are enjoying themselves, very
enthusiastic and positive learning. They ask questions all the time, rely on spoken words as well
as the physical word to convey and understand meaning, they are able to work with others and
learn from others.
 So, the characteristics of young learners as learners based on the consideration above are
that they love to play and learn best when they are enjoying themselves, they either pretend to
understand, or they understand in their own terms and do what they think you want them to do,
they also have a very short attention and concentration span. But, actually as we know that
children as a learner have a high imagination about what they thought, they saw and they heard.
And also they can tell you what they have done or heard or what they are doing.

2.3 Teaching English for Young Learner

Young learrners world are cheerful, joyful, fun, and the first stage of their learning life.
Make up their education environment to be more exciting, attractive, and active can give them
unforgettable memories about their learning and they will enjoy their study.

Play with language in teaching foreign language for young learners introduce them about
meaning, and it is a first stage in learning language. It means students must know about the
spoken language first because meaning must come first: if children do not understand the
spoken language, they can not learn about it. (Cameron 2001:36).

In terms of their intelectual development, children or young learners are said to be in the
period of function. They tend to understand the purposes of language rather than on the rules and
also explanations of the language items. Therefore, considering childrens intellectual
development in conducting the teaching and learning in the classroom, teachers need to avoid
explaining grammar explicitly (e.g. present progressive), and also stating the grammatical rules
by using abstract terms. It would be better if they show their children certain pattens and
examples in explaining the grammatical concepts (Brown, 2001: 88). In teaching children
teachers need to consider also their length of attention. Most children will spend many hours to
watch their favourite cartoon movies and they may spend less than an hour listening to their
teachers explanation. This commonly happens when they find the explanation or the lessons
boring, useless, or too difficult. Teachers, however need to make the lessons more interesting,
lively, and fun. They need to know their students interest, use variety of activities, as well as
having sense of humor to get their students attention. In conducting the teaching, teachers also
need to stimulate all five senses of the students (Brown, 2001, 89). Therefore, they need to
consider using physical activities (such as role-play, playing games), use sensory aids and also
 their own nonverbal language. Teachers should realize that their nonverbal language is very
important for their students since most children tend to be very sensitive to facial features,
gestures and touching (Brown, 2001: 89).

Finally, in order to have an effective English classroom, teachers also need to consider
the category of autenticity of the materials as well as the use of meaningful language in their
classroom. This is particularly in line with their students intellectual development. Children are
commonly very sensitive to the language which is used in their familiar context of situation,
therefore the use of story lines, familiar situations and characters, real-life conversations,
meaningful purposes in using language are strongly recommended in establishing the context of
the language use as well as improving childrens attention and retention (Brown, 2001: 90).

Uchida (http://www.ektnews.com/features/kids/007_hu.shtml) gives some tips for

teachers of young learners, especially those who taught in elementary school. Because in this
level, three important conditions before young leaners enter the classroom : they are naturally
cooperative, curious, the least self-conscious of all levels, and also they learn very quickly.
Twelve tips for teaching young learners are :

1. Make the rules, which should be fair and consistent, clear from the first day of the class.
2. Remember the students names as the first time you meet them. Encourage all students to
remember their classmates names. Use their names often when you are in teaching and
learning process.
3. Show your students what to do. Do not explain. Just do. They will follow your lead.
English needs to be experienced, not explained.
4. Nourish trust between you and the students with each class. Through your actions let
them know that you will never embarrass them for making a mistake in English.
5. Use eye contact to communicate your praise and disappointment.
6. Create well-planned, consistent lesson with a predictable format which gives the students
a sense of security and balance. Students feel more confident if they know what o expect.
7. Always be pleasantly surprised when students interact with each other or you in English.
8. Reassure your students that you understand their English and you approve their attempts.
9. Show respect to them (since they are worthy of it) and let them sometimes be the teacher.
10. Use English as a tool to build their self-esteem.
11. Be their sensei not their parents.
12. Remember childhood through your students.

2.4 Teaching by Using Games

 Game is an activity with rules, a goal, and an element of fun. Games can be an integral
part of any language teaching and learning technique. It can make the teaching and learning
process become more fun and enjoyable but still in disciplined way. There are two kinds of
game, cooperative and competitive games. Cooperative games are a class of games that promote
teamwork and social interaction, which the activity emphasis on the fitness, skill development,
and also cooperation. Cooperative games are available to help develop various coordination
skills and teamwork. Therefore, the students may be able develop their learning through social
interaction. Whereas, competitive games are aclass of games that emphasizes on score, winning,
and beating an opponent.

Anne Louise de Wit on

(http://www.witslanguageschool.com/NewsRoom/ArticleView/tabid/180/ArticleId/85/Teaching-
Tips-Using-Games-in-the-English-Second-or-Foreign-Language-classroom.aspx) states that
games can definitely be used for all age groups, but some caution is needed when used for adult
learners. Teachers have to ensure that their games are age appropriate and not too easy or
challanging for their students.

According to Boyle (2011: 3), games offer a unique structure to complement traditional
teaching strategies and infuse teaching with energy, spark innovative thinking and provide
diversity in teaching methods.

Furthermore Loannou (2010: 1) stated that games are particularly valuable for a child in
the beginning phase of learning a foreign language because it will enable the development of
social skills. Beside that, games also can be used to enhance any part of the lesson. They can be
used to present, practice, recycle/revise or assess any language. Moreover, games can also be
used to develop listening, speaking, reading and even writing skills.

Before the teachers use the games in teaching and learning process, it is better for them to
know five purposes of playing English games as stated Uchida on
(http://www.ektnews.com/features/kids/007_hu.shtml). They are :

1. The students should learn new vocabulary as a result of playing the game.
2. They should also learn new, useful English expressions while playing.
3. Students should be able to think in English during the game.
4. The playing of the game should promote English interaction among students.
 5. Students should demonstrate good manners to each other and to their teacher while
playing.
Further, Uchida (http://www.ektnews.com/features/kids/007_hu.shtml) states that :

If students can successfully put into use the five points listed above, then playing games will
naturally be fun and exciting. But if the students are busy speaking their mother tongue during
the game, they will miss out on chances to learn new vocabulary and absorb and applicate/use
new phrases. If they speak their mother tongue during the game, they will also miss out on many
chances to think in English and interact with their peers in English. And in the final analysis,
they will be denied opportunities to display good manners in English.

2.3.1 Important Things to Consider When Using Games in The Classroom

In choosing the games to play, teachers need to consider few things (sugar and Sugar,
2002: 12-17). The following are elements that the teachers need to consider before playing a
game in the English classroom as proposed by Sugar and Sugar (2002: 12-17). Those include the
following elements.

Target Audience
Level of Play (Language Level Required)
Number of Players
Size of the Class
Learning Outcomes
Playing Time
Game Variations

Once teachers decide to use a certain game to teach English, they need not only to know
how to play the game also they need to follow some steps. Those are: explaining how to play the
game to the class, demonstrating parts of the game, and the last introducing the key language
and/or instructions of the game.

Further Anne Louise de Wit on

(http://www.witslanguageschool.com/NewsRoom/ArticleView/tabid/180/ArticleId/85/Teaching-
Tips-Using-Games-in-the-English-Second-or-Foreign-Language-classroom.aspx) states
important things to consider when using games in the classroom.
 1. Choose suitable games (depending on the number of students, students proficiency level,
cultural context, timing, learning topic, and the classroom settings).
2. The way students perceive a game depends on the actual design and implementation of
the game.
3. Teachers must give clear instructions, give clear rules, and give clear time limits.
4. Teachers rather demonstrate the game than explain.
5. There must be a clear purpose and achievable goals.
6. Clear objectives and goals must match the difficulty level of the game and ability level of
the students.
7. Ensure that shy or quiet students are not alienated and have an opportunity to take part.
8. Debriefing, or the evaluation of results in the game, is crucial to the games success.
9. It must be fun, but still help the students to learn.

2.3.2 The Classification of Games

There are many kinds of games that can be used in the classroom as well as outside the
classrooms. According to Hadfield (2001: 4), she explains two ways in classifying language
games. First, she divides the language games into two types: linguistic games and
communicative games. Linguistic games focused on accuracy, such as supplying the correct
antonym. On the other hand, communicative games focused on successful exchange of
information and ideas. While Evan (1979: 15) categorized games into skill-practiced game, role
play game, and simulation game.

According to Wright, Betteridge and Buckby (1994), they divide games based on their
general characters and spirits as the followings.

Care and Share

Do : Move, Mime, Draw, Obey
Identify: Discriminate, Guess, Speculate
Describe
Connect: Compare, Match, Group
Order
Remember
Create

To take closer look with the subdivisions of games, the writer will describe them as
follows :
 a. Care and Share

Caring and sharing games include all those game in which the leaners feel comfortable
while sharing personal information with other leaners. These games relate more to invitation
than to challenge.

b. Do : Move, Mime, Draw, Obey

On this games, the learners are expected to do something non-verbally in response to a

read or a heard text.

c. Identify: Discriminate, Guess, Speculate

On this type of games, the learners are challanged to identify something which is difficult
to identify or to hypothesise about something which is compared with the facts.

d. Describe

This game challenges the learners to describe something to another learner, by speaking
or writing, so that the other learners can do something. The learners may describe something
objectively or subjectively, communicating his or her own feelings and associations.

e. Connect: Compare, Match, Group

This type of games challanged the learners to connect, compare, match or group various
items of information, perhaps pictures or texts, objectively or subjectively.

f. Order

The learners are challanged to put various bits of information into an order of quality and
importance, or to put texts, pictures, objects, into a developmental sequance.

g. Remember

This type of games challanged the learners to remember something and then
communicate what he or she has remembered.

h. Create
 The learners are challanged or invited to make a story or produce some other kind of
material using their imagination.

2.4 The Importance of Teaching by Using Games

There are some benefits of using games in teaching English. The following are some of
the benefits proposed by Wright, Betteridge and Buckby (1994: 1) :

1. Games help and encourage learners (fun and interesting).

2. Games help the teacher to create contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful.

3. Games provide intense and meaningful practice of the language.

4. Games provide practices in all the skills (R, W, L, and S), in all the stages of the
teaching/learning sequence (presentation, repetition, recombination, etc), and for many types for
communication (encouraging, agreeing, explaining).

5. Using games can engage the students and motivate them to interact with the topic.

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methodology of this research, research design, technique of
sampling, technique of data collection, and technique of data analysis used in this research.

3.1 Research Design

Qualitative approach was used because it allowed the researcher to study about games in
natural setting and interpret its advantages and difficulties. Qualitative method placed the
researcher as an observer on the teaching-learning process of the research. Furthermore, this
research explored the activities in a classroom without interferring the teaching process. In line
with this, Creswell (2007) stated that the natural setting in collecting data is one of the
characteristics of qualitative approach.
 Case-study was selected as the research design because as Creswell (2007) said, the case-
study research is a qualitative approach in which the observer explores the bounded system over
time. This research investigated the advantages and the difficulties of games in a bounded
teaching procedure. This research also involved multiple sources of information such as
observation and interview and reported the result in a case description.

3.2 Site and Participant

An English course in Banjarmasin was chosen to be the site of this research observation.
The researchers found out that the teacher often doing game as warming up activities in the
beginning of the lesson.

The participant was a female teacher who teaches six students in the Children
Conversation III class. The students are came from different school and different graders. The
teacher is final-semester students of English Department of Lambung Mangkurat University. She
has been trained for three months before the management give her the real class. She also gets
regular monthly training until her contract end. The students of Children Conversation 3 who
taught by her were chosen because the students at this level are the most active and energetic. So
that, the teacher can apply any kinds of games.

3.3 Data Collection

Classroom observation and interview were used as instruments to collect the data. The
explanation of each instrument is as follows:

Classroom observation was conducted to investigate :

1. The types of games that were used by the teacher as warming-up activities in
young learners classroom;
2. The advantages and the difficulties in implementing those games as warming-up
activities in young learners classroom;

The observation was conducted five times (7th, 9th, 21st, 23rd March and 4th April 2017).
 Observation sheets were used during classroom observation. The observation sheets were
designed based on observation protocol by Creswell (2007). In the observation sheets, there were
two columns namely descriptive notes and reflectife notes. The descriptive note was used to
record some aspects, such as portraits of the informant, the physical setting, particular events and
activities. While the reflective note was used to record the reaction of the observer. Besides the
observation sheets, video also used to get deeper information about the types of games that were
used by the teacher as warming-up activities in young learners classroom. Moreover, the videos
were also used to support observation sheets.

The second instrument is interview. The interview was conducted to get more information
about the advantages and the difficulties of the implementation of games as warming-up
activities according to the teacher perception. Through interview, the resercher can ask directly to
the participant to tell the process before and after implementing the games. The questions in
interview were not designed in a rigid way.

After the data were gained by conducting observation, the results were transcribed and
then categorized into types of games based on Hadfields (2001) and Evans (1979) theory.
Besides the data from classroom observation, the data from interview were also transcribed and
interpreted to answer the research question about the advantages and the difficulties of
implementing games as warming-up activities.

3.4 Data Analysis

Data Analysis in qualitative research should be a simultaneous process and were begun
when the observation started. After collecting the data from observation and interview, those data
were analyzed into three steps:

1. Identification
2. Categorization
3. Interpretation
The data gained from observation sheets and observation videos were
identified by identifying the characteristics of games that were used by the teacher as warming-
up activities for the students. After identification step, the games that were used by the teacher
were categorized based on Hadfields and Evans theory. In Hadfields theory, games were
categorized into competitive game and cooperative game. Beside categorizes the games into
 competitive and cooperative games, Hadfield also categorizes those games into linguistic game
and communicative game. Furthermore, in Evans theory, the games were categorized into skill-
practiced game, role play game, and simulation game. After categorization process, the data were
interpreted to answer the research questions about the types of games that were used by the
teacher as warming-up activities in young learners classroom, and the advantages of
implementing those games as warming-up activities in young learners classroom.
Beside classroom observations data, the data from interview were gained. The gained
data were recorded by using voice recorder and then transcribed and also interpreted it to answer
the research questions about the advantages and the difficulties of implementing games as
warming-up activities.Furthermore, the data were linked to proper literature.
The result of analysis data both from observation and interview will be delivered in the
next chapter.

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Evans, David R. (1979). Games and Simulations in Literacy Training. University of Massachusetts:
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Hadfield, Jill (2001). Elementary Grammar Games. Essex: Longman.

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