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THE EFFECTIVENESS OF APPLYING GAMES TOWARDS
THE LEARNING MOTIVATION AND THE ENGLISH PERFORMANCE
OF WIDYA WACANA’S STUDENTS OF YEAR 5
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background
English has the important role in this super modern and globalization era.
Many countries from all over the world use English as the international language.
English can be a bridge toward the communication of the different people with the
different languages and cultures from the whole world. There are many aspects that
can be connected to English, such as commerce, technology, social aspects, cultures,
and many more. Without English, it is impossible for the people from the different
countries to make the connection in all aspects of life. Therefore, English helps many
countries to develop themselves by increasing many possibilities to extend their
capacity to make the connection and cooperation so easily.
Indonesia, as one of the countries facing the globalization era, also really
needs English. By communicating with English, the Indonesian people can make
some links with many people from other countries. This condition can really bring
Indonesia to the better future and development. The free trading that also happens in
Indonesia can be easily done by the good communication in English, as an example.
That is one of many proofs that reaffirm English as an important language in
bringing Indonesia to the good development in the future.
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Because English has handled the very important role for the development of
Indonesia, it is really important to teach English to the students of Indonesia as early
as possible. Teaching English to the young learners, in this case are the elementary
school’s students is really wise to be done. The younger students learning English,
the better they can master it. It is because in the young age, English can be learned
better by the elementary school’s students than if it is learned in the older age, for
instance, in the mature age. By teaching English as early as possible, it is also
expected that the young learners can obtain and master English as well as possible
for the important key in increasing the better development of Indonesia.
As the young learners, the students of elementary school usually get the
simple English materials that can be understood easily by them, such as materials
about family, government, transportation, body, things around us, and shape. The
materials are relatively simple and easy to be learned by the beginners of English like
them.
The good strategies are really needed in teaching English to the young
learners of the elementary school. Those are needed to ease the English teaching
process to the young learners. As beginners, it is common if they can not always
master the materials. However, the good and attractive way of teaching English will
affect the students to study English as easy as possible. In the other words, it will
attract the motivation of the students, so it will automatically attract their English
performance. Also, as young learners, students always want some fun and interesting
activities, so they will not get bored in studying English. If they study in such a tense
situation, it will make them difficult to understand the English materials. Therefore,
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the effective strategy in teaching English to the elementary school’s students will
ease them in understanding the English materials.
Considering the situation above, the writer had done the job training in
Widya Wacana II Elementary School, Surakarta. The writer had a good chance to be
an English teacher teaching the students of year 4, year 5, and year 6. Also, the writer
really loves children and thinks that teaching English to the young learners is really
enjoyable and challenging.
As the effective strategy in teaching English to the elementary school’s
students, the writer applied the games to attract the students’ desire in learning
English. Remembering that English is not always difficult to be learned by the young
learners, the writer used game as the facilitator to make students enjoy in learning
English. Besides, by using game, the writer thought that it will make them learn
English easily.
In order to limit the scope of report, the following are the main topics that
have been formulated, as follows:
1) How the games can be so effective toward the students’ learning motivation.
2) How the games can make such an effective way toward the students’ English
performance.
The strategy, that is applying games, reaffirms the writer’s desire to help the
students in learning English in a new way with such an enjoyable situation, so they
can be motivated to learn English and they can accept the materials easily. Besides,
they can also produce the good English performance. The topic chosen is the
effectiveness of applying games towards students’ learning motivation and students’
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English performance. Finally, the topic also becomes the great consideration in
finishing this final project report.
B. Objectives
The objectives of this Final Project Report are:
1. To identify the effectiveness of applying games towards the student’s
learning motivation.
2. To find out the effectiveness of applying games towards the students’ English
performance.
C. Benefits
It is hoped that this Final Project Report will give some advantages for:
1. The Institution, Widya Wacana II Elementary Shcool, Surakarta
It is hoped that the institution can obtain some advantageous inputs from this
final project report in increasing the more quality teaching.
2. The English Teacher
It is expected that the English teachers can get some beneficial knowledge
toward the effective English teaching by applying games.
3. The Readers
Hopefully, the readers can accept some benefits with a good perception and
knowledge about the effective way in teaching young students by applying
games.
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CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Teaching and Learning
According to Jeremy Harmer (1991), teaching is an activity carried out by
someone to give knowledge to others. “Teaching is guiding, facilitating, learning,
enabling the learners to learn, and setting the condition for learning” (Brown,
2000:7). Moreover, Harmer states that there are some issues that the teachers should
point out to be a good teacher:
1. a teacher should make his/ her lesson interesting
2. a teacher should have lots of knowledge
3. a teacher must love his/ her job
4. a teacher is an entertainer in a positive sense not in negative sense.
Teaching is very important matter for the teachers in guiding and enabling
the students to learn, and getting the knowledge as much as possible. Therefore, a
good method of teaching will affect the result of learning. According to Harmer
(1991:239), the success of a teaching method depends on good organization and on
the students knowing exactly what they are to do.
Avedon & Brian (1971) states that learning is the process of acquiring
modifications in existing knowledge, skills, habits, or tendencies through experience,
practice, or exercise. Besides, Hadfield (1990), points out that learning is the act,
process, or experience of gaining knowledge or skill through schooling or studying.
Therefore, learning can be defined as the cognitive process of acquiring skill or
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knowledge by means of study, practice, and/or experience. Both teaching and
learning are very important. They support each other, and can not be separated.
B. Games
According to Sdorow, a game is an activity with some rules engaged in for an
outcome. A game’s tools and rules are also important, because they will result in its
requiring skill, strategy, and chance. A game is an activity with rules, a goal, and
element of fun, which is divided into two kinds: competitive games, in which players
or teams race to be the first to reach the goal, and cooperative games, in which
players or teams work together towards a common goal (Hadfield, 1998:4).
Actually, game can be defined as a structured or semi-structured activity,
usually undertaken for enjoyment, and sometimes also used as an educational tool.
Game has some components; they are goals, rules, challenge, and interactivity. Also,
game makes use of a variety of techniques. The variety of techniques is really
important in language teaching. The techniques of game used include guessing,
searching, matching, exchanging, collecting, combining, arranging, card games,
board games, puzzles. The variety of games’ techniques will ease the language
learning.
According to Wright (1984), games can be generally classified into 5, they
are: 1. Educational or informative games, 2. Sports games, 3. Sensorimotor games
(e.g. action games, arcade games, etc.), 4. Other vehicular simulators games, 5.
Strategy games (e.g. adventure games, role-playing games, puzzles, etc.).
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Here, language game is also important to be discussed. According to Lois
Shawver, language game is a system of manipulating spoken words to render them
incomprehensible to the untrained ear. Wittgenstein (1965), states that language
game is the whole process of using words as one of the games by means of which
children learn their native language, and sometimes speak of a primitive language (a
new language). Actually, language games, in the simple context, are the games that
children play that enable them to learn the language. They can be learned without the
children knowing what the words mean. The words can be memorized along with
actions corresponding to the words. Children learning English are taught such
mechanical responses before they understand the meaning of what they do and say
(Wittgenstein, 1965).
Carrier (1990:10), points out that one of the best ways of doing teaching is
through games. Games can lower anxiety, thus, making the acquisition of input more
likely (Richard-Amato, 1996:147). “They (games) are highly motivating and
entertaining, and they can give shy students more opportunity to express their
opinions and feelings” (Hadfield 1990:118).In the easy, relaxed atmosphere, which is
created by using games, the students remember things faster and better (Woolkfolk
&McCune Nicholich, 2004:371). Games are often used as short warm-up activities
or when there is sometimes left at the end of the lesson. Yet, Richard-Amato (1996)
states that a game should not be regarded as a marginal activity filling in add
moments when the teachers and class have nothing better to do. According to Carrier
(1990), there are some effective ways in using games in the classroom: 1. Teachers
should consider the level of the game to fit students’ language level, 2. Considering
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students’ characteristics, 3. Considering when the game should be used, 4. Teachers
should be able to play and overact sometimes to help the students feel comfortable to
join the activity. This means that the teachers should thoroughly understand the game
and its nature and be able to lead the game. The most important factor is that games
should be used when they can give students both fun and educational meaning,
otherwise, there will be a waste of time.
C. Motivation and Learning Motivation
Motivation is psychological processes that arouse, direct, and maintain
behavior toward a goal (Sdorow, 1998:374). Motivation is also defined as the
impetus to create and sustain intentions and goal-seeking acts (Kendler, 1963).
According to Woolfolk & McCune Nicholich (2004:357), motivation is a desire to
achieve a goal, combined with the energy to work towards that goal.
Motivation is one of the factors that influence the choice of strategies used by
students learning a foreign/second language. More motivated students tend to use
more strategies than less motivated students, hence, they tend to be more successful
(Kendler, 1963). Motivation is really important, because it can affect the success of
students in learning something.
Motivation can affect the learning process. Kendler (1964:265), states that
one of the factors that influence the choice of strategies used among students learning
a second/ foreign language is motivation. Therefore, learning motivation is needed in
learning process. According to Woolkfolk & McCune Nicholich (2004), learning
motivation is something (motivation/ desire) that makes a learning process happens.
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Actually, it is very important to motivate the learners in the language learning
process. According to Woolfolk & McCune Nicolich (2004:366), the learners usually
do not care about the learning process, when the class becomes something scary,
unpredictable, and the learners do not know what to do. “When the teachers consider
about the attitude and the need of the students, the motivation of participating the
lesson will be greater” (Woolfolk & McCune Nicolich, 2004:372). The situation of
the class and the teaching method of the teachers are really affected the motivation of
the learners. Therefore, the good and enjoyable situation of the class and the good
method of teaching are really needed in increasing the motivation of the learners
towards the learning process. The fulfillment towards the need of the students is also
important. Actually, the need of the students is the enjoyable and good situation of
the class. “To make the students feel comfortable and safe with the lesson, the
teachers can organize some extra activities” Woolkfolk & McCune Nicholich (2004).
In this case, extra activities, such as games, can highly motivate the students in
joining the language learning process.
D. Performance
Schultz (1988) states that performance is the manner in which or the
efficiency with which something reacts or fulfills its intended purposes, or the
execution (accomplishment) of work, acts, feats, etc. Performance is getting the job
done, and producing the result that you aimed at (Avedon, 1971). According to
Locke and Wright (1984), performance is one type of goals which focus on
achieving normative-based standards, doing better than others, or doing well without
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a lot of efforts. Performance is also called normative goals or ego- involvement
goals.
From the definitions above, performance can be defined as a thing done or
carried through an achievement, a deed, an act, and a feat. In the other words, it is the
act of doing something successfully. Improving performance is about achieving more
and making more of a difference. It is not about doing more. Performance
improvement is not something done once. It is a continuous process of review and
action.
As games have many advantages towards the language learning process, it is
really appropriate to be used in the class. According to Hadfield (1990), games can
contribute to students’ skills if they are incorporated into the classroom, particularly
if they are used to reinforce or introduce a grammatical rule or structure. Therefore, it
is quite a good idea to incorporate games in daily classes. Games are very effective
and supportive activities in contributing to students’ language skills and students’
performance. Therefore, playing games in the classroom can enormously increase
students’ ability in using the language, because the students have a chance to use the
language with the purpose in the situation provided. Also, games contain the
enjoyable activities and fun situation, which make the good condition of the class
that enable the students to increase the performance in the language learning process.
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CHAPTER III
DISCUSSION
In this chapter, the writer will discuss the main points about this final project
report. There are four main points that will be discussed, namely; school description,
teaching activities, the teaching process by applying games, and the effectiveness of
applying games towards students’ motivation and students’ English performance.
A. Description of Widya Wacana II Elementary School Surakarta
1. Widya Wacana II Elementary School, Surakarta
Widya Wacana II Elementary School is a private elementary school
administered by Widya Wacana Foundation which is a Christian Foundation. This
private school represents one of the high quality elementary schools in Surakarta. It
is located at Jalan Veteran 174-176 Surakarta, built on October 31, 1951. This school
is divided into 3 main parts of buildings; classrooms, an office room, and some other
facilities. There are 12 classrooms, because in each grade there are 2 parallel classes,
class A and B. The second part of building is the office room, containing the
headmaster’s room and the teachers’ room. There are a small medical room, a
teachers’ bathroom, a kitchen behind the office room, and a library beside it. Also,
there are other buildings as the facilities of this school, such as a computer room, and
students’ bathrooms (four boy’s bathrooms and three girl’s bathrooms). There are
also two-separated parking areas, for the teachers and the students in the different
location.
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Widya Wacana II Elementary School has a big square in the middle of the
school that is used for ceremony, sport activities, and playing activities. There are
three small canteens to fulfill the needs of the students and the teachers to eat and
drink.
This school has one head-mistress who has the duties to handle every single
school activity and other matters related to school’s development. Also, there are
twelve teachers who have the responsibility to lead the teaching and learning
activities in each class. There are also other teachers teaching some subjects, such as
English, sport, religion, and computer.
2. The Vision and Mission of Widya Wacana II Elementary School Surakarta
a. The vision of Widya Wacana II Elementary School
To carry out and develop the high - quality educational institution by
applying the Christian-base teaching method.
b. The mission of Widya Wacana II Elementary School
To educate, to teach, and to guide the students to be the graduates as the good
human resources who have the good skills and master the knowledge and
technology, also have the understanding about the meaning and the purposes to be
the Christian people having the life foundation to apply the God-Words in the daily
life.
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B. The job training Activities
1. Class Observation
Before doing the teaching activities in Widya Wacana II Elementary School,
the writer had done the class observation in the class of year 5. The objects observed
also include the teaching method used by the English teacher and the teaching and
learning activities happening in the class.
There are two parallel classes for the students of year 5; class 5A and class
5B. Both of them have no more than 30 students, at the average age between 10-11
years old. The students of year 5 only study the Basic English lesson, such as the
simple communication (both spoken and written), simple vocabularies, and simple
English grammar. The writer also observed the teaching method used by the English
teacher. First, she introduced the new vocabularies to her students, and then she gave
the material containing the grammar. Finally, she asked her students to do the tasks
related to the material. Actually, she also permitted her students to ask some
questions about the material that they did not understand before giving the tasks for
them. The English teacher used the hand-book provided by the institution in teaching
the English materials to her students. The book is entitled Study with Gogoo, which
is a book published by a Singapore publisher. The writer used the English Exercises
for Elementary School (LKS) as the hand-out book in teaching English materials.
This hand-out book really helps the writer to teach the students of year 5, because it
contains many exercises and simple materials that make her easy to teach them. The
book is also completed with nice pictures in each topic provided. Besides, the writer
used the book entitled Start with English.
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Actually, the students of year 5 are really enthusiastic in learning English in a
fun situation without leaving the teaching and learning process seriously. Based on
the writer’s observation, the students there can accept the materials easily if they are
far away from stress in the class and the tense situation. They made noises by
chatting each other and disturbing their friends if the class was monotonous and did
not have something that attracted them. Therefore, the writer used games as the
facilitator in making the enjoyable atmosphere of the class. Actually, the condition
will make them relax and enjoy following the English class.
2. Class Activities
The teaching and learning process in Widya Wacana II Elementary School
begins at 07.00 am. The writer had the chance to teach English on Monday and
Thursday. She had 80 minutes to give the English lesson to the students. The writer
always started the lesson by saying greeting to them, and the students replied to greet
her. She said, “Good morning, students!”, and they would answer, “Good morning,
Miss!”. This is the routine greeting done in the class before the teaching and learning
process happens. By greeting, the students will be accustomed to speak or to
communicate simple English.
Besides, the writer asked some questions related to the topic that would be
learned to the students to stimulate them to join the interactive class. She wanted
every student feel enjoy to join the class, without having fear ness about the lesson.
She tried to warm the situation of the class. She also said to the students that English
is really an enjoyable lesson. She said to the students that she would study English
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with them in fun and enjoyable situation where they could accept the material easily,
because they were not in the tense situation. She also ensured the students that
everyone could master English easily if they loved English.
Actually, the writer always tried to be closer and closer to the students when
she taught them. Therefore, they would not feel that a teacher is a “strange” person
teaching them in a tense or monotonous situation, but they would consider that a
teacher was a “friend” giving them useful knowledge. It is so important to create the
good relationship between the teacher and the students firstly, because it can really
ease the teaching and learning process then. Also, the writer planned the activities
during the English lesson before to reach the expected goals. The writer was focused
to increase the speaking and writing skill of the students, including the vocabulary
mastering.
3. Syllabus Making
The writer had to make a syllabus to help her in creating the effective
teaching and learning process. The well-arranged and complete syllabus was
expected to give the examples of the materials taught and the theoretical information
towards the teacher as the basic of the curriculum development philosophy. Below is
the syllabus that will be discussed in this final project report, as follows:
Level of learners : Students of year 5 of elementary school
Topic : Shape
Standard of Competence : Spoken and written communication using many kinds
of appropriate expressions accurately and fluently in
a simple monologue of a simple description.
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Table 1. The Syllabus
Basic Competence
Topic Outcome of the study Language Forms Keywords
Actional Competence
1. Listening Understanding the short spoken monologue in terms of a simple description
2. SpeakingFinding every meaning in a simple expression / word and spoken monologue in terms of a simple description
3. ReadingUnderstanding the text in terms of a simple description
4. WritingWriting words, phrases, and simple sentences
Shape
Giving correct responses about word speech in conversation text
Answering questions about conversation according to the topic
Question – Response and doing simple monologue in terms of a simple description about shape
Identifying about shape words which have been learned
Reading the texts about shape by using correct pronunciation and intonation
Reading and answering questions about shape
Writing kinds of shape
Writing monologue in terms of completing dialogue about shape
A:What is the shape of a wheel?
B:It is a circle.
A:What is a wheel like?
B:It is circular.
A:What is the shape of this thing?
B:This is a square.
A:Can you draw a circle?
B:Yes, I can.
A:What are you drawing?
B:I am drawing a box.
Noun: oval, circle, semicircle, etc.
Adjective: oval, circular, semicircular, etc.
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C. The teaching process by applying games in year 5
a. The Stages of the Teaching Process
Basically, there are three steps involved in the process of teaching English in
year 5, as follows:
1. Warming up (motivating strategies)
2. Presentation
3. Production
In the teaching process of English, it is important for the students to be active
and to be enjoyable with the lesson. To make it happen, the teaching process was
begun by giving the chance for them to answer the questions simply. The writer used
English first to ask them, and then she translated it into Indonesian. Furthermore, the
writer let the students to answer the questions as they could. If they answered in
Indonesian, or in the other words, they did not know the English version for the
answers, the writer would change or translate their answers into English. Actually,
the writer used English in the class to make the students accustomed to it.
1. Warming Up (Motivating Strategies)
The earliest step in the teaching process is warming up (Motivating
Strategies). It is called motivating strategies because this step is the right step where
the writer had the chance to motivate the students to follow the lesson desirably and
enjoyably. First, the writer attracted them by saying greeting cheerfully, so they
would not be fear or doubt in joining the lesson. She also said that she would give the
enjoyable lesson, which was different from the routine English lesson that made
them enjoy and master the materials easily.
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This step is divided into some parts:
1. Asking some questions
2. Eliciting some vocabularies
3. Introducing the topic, and
4. Mentioning the objectives of the lesson
Before starting to explain the lesson, the writer asked some questions to the
students. She asked in English first, and then she translated the questions into
Indonesian. It made them understand clearly about the questions. Besides, she asked
in an enjoyable way to attract students’ attention. She also spread the motivation to
them by giving rewards towards their answers. Then, the students would answer the
questions spontaneously as well. As the students of year 5 are beginners in English, it
is common if they could not always answer in English well. Sometimes, they
answered in Indonesian. The writer then translated those answers into correct English
vocabularies by writing them on the whiteboard, and permitting them to make a note
the vocabularies written. She gave the way to pronounce the vocabularies to the
students. She also asked the studnets to follow the pronunciation of the vocabularies
after her. Then, she asked them to read the vocabularies by themselves as the
checking wat whether they could pronounce the vocabularies well or not. Actually,
the writer also introduced the topic that they were going to learn about, and
mentioned the objectives of the lesson that they had to master in the end of the
lesson.
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2. Presentation
The presentation strategy is the second step in the teaching process. This step
is done by presenting the new material for the students. Actually, the writer usually
asked the students to open the hand-out given to them. Then, the writer started to
explain the material clearly and understandably. As an example, she showed the
pictures about kinds of shape to the students. Therefore, they would really know
kinds of shape and the name of the kinds of shape. While showing the interesting
pictures to them, the writer made the interactive-communication, for instance:
The teacher: “Do you know what that is?”
The students: “That is a rectangle.”
By doing the interactive communication, the students could increase better
pronunciation and spelling. It is important to increase their speaking ability. Also, the
communicative activities forced them to be motivated in joining the class without
fear ness or shyness. Besides, the writer also gave simple dialogue in a form of short
simple texts for them. She asked the students to practice the dialogue texts with her
for first. Then, she explained the meaning of the dialogue texts. After that, she asked
them to practice the dialogue in front of the class with their partners while saying that
she really loved the active students. Actually, there were many students who wanted
to come in front of the class. It was so amazing that the writer could know the way
they practiced the dialogue. Then, she explained the grammar from the dialogue
texts. The writer also made some corrections towards their way to pronounce well.
Finally, she asked them whether they had understood or not about the material
learned.
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3. Production
In the two previous steps, the students had known the vocabularies about
shape and had practiced the dialogue texts well. Also, they knew and understood
about the grammar taught before. The last step was the production step. In this step,
the students were asked to apply what they had learned in a form of doing some tasks
or exercises. Here, the role of the students was very active, because the writer only
guided them as simple as possible. Also, she applied games in this step to measure
the level of memorizing and understanding of the students. The games were made as
simple as possible in groups to ease them in doing the games well without neglecting
the cooperative and fun aspect.
b. The Games Applied in the Teaching Process
Actually, games have so many advantages. The aim to apply games in the
classroom is to help the students increase their motivation and performance.
Applying games is the good strategy that eases the students in studying English fast
and easily. Moreover, games can lower anxiety of the students, thus making the
acquisition of inputs more likely. They are highly motivating and entertaining, and
they also can give shy students more opportunity to express their options and
feelings. They can help the students to be more active and cooperative.
Actually, the writer used some kinds of games as the facilitators to help the
students memorize even master the material well and easily, as follows:
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1. Completing the Missing Letters and Arranging Letters.
These two games are quite similar. They are simple and easy to be done. The
students can do them in groups. The example of those games can be seen as follows:
a. Completing the Missing Letters
1.
R _ c _ _ n _ l _ =…
2.
C _ _ c l _ =… , etc.
b. Arranging Letters
a – v – l – O =…
i– r – C – l – c – e =… , etc.
2. Puzzle
Doing puzzle is interesting for the students. They had to do this in groups that
consist of 4 - 5 students. They had to do the games as fast as possible to be the
winner. The following is the example of the puzzle about kinds of shape:
3. Word - Guessing and Writing Game
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The writer also made another creative game to be applied in the class as the
other good strategy. The name of the game is word – guessing and writing game. In
this game, the students had to guess or say the name of the things based on the
pictures, and then they had to write the name of the things into a good order. By
applying this game, the writer expects to increase the ability of the students in
speaking and writing skills well. The rules of this game are quite simple. Of course,
she explained the rules of the game well and understandably to the students. She also
gave the demonstration to ease the playing of the game by the studnets. The purpose
of giving demonstration is to to ease them to do the game, so they will not make any
meaningful mistakes in playing the game because there is no missinterpretation.
Firstly, she divided the class into 5 – 6 groups where each group consists of 4 – 5
students. Secondly, the writer prepared some pictures such as about kinds of shape.
The writer gave some pictures for each group based on the amount of the students in
each group. Then, they had to guess or say the names of those kinds of shape. Then,
one student from each group represented their group in front of the class. If they
could say the name of the shape well, they had to write their right answers on the
whiteboard. Both how to pronounce and how to write were important. If they were
wrong, they did not have score. The best group would be the winner.
In this session, the students were really active and enthusiastic. This game
could stimulate them to remind the vocabularies easily. Their ability in speaking and
writing also increased automatically. By applying the games, the writer proved that
games are not only fun and enjoyable, but games also increase the motivation and the
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English performance of the students of year 5. Certainly, the game above is just one
of many effective games that have to be applied in the class.
Furthermore, applying games is believed to ease the students increase the
good performance and to gain the self confidence in learning and mastering English
more and more. This teaching strategy is really highly motivating and interesting to
be applied in the class. Therefore, it is really easy to reach the expected goals
towards the language learning process. The good strategy in teaching will affect the
positive acquisition result.
D. The Effectiveness of Applying Games towards Students’ Learning
Motivation and Students’ English Performance
Games have many advantages towards the teaching and learning process. The
writer really accepted many advantages during applying games in the English lesson.
Besides spreading fun and enjoyable situation, games also persuade all students to
cooperate or to join the lesson more enjoyable and interesting. Games do not make
the range between the writer and the students. It means that the writer could measure
how far their understanding and ability toward the material given. In fact, they were
better in understanding and mastering the material in an enjoyable situation than if
they studied in a tense-monotonous situation that can increase their anxiety towards
the English lesson.
From the first time of applying games in the class, the writer had big attention
from the students that made them more enthusiastic to join the English learning
process. As a result from the increasing of their motivation, they loved English more
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and more. In every chance of teaching English, they were very optimistic to join
every step of teaching and learning process. They also gave warm reception to follow
the English lesson. Moreover; they were waiting for the other chance to join the
English lesson applying games. It proves that applying games in teaching English has
nice effectiveness towards students’ learning motivation to learn English more and
more.
As had been observed by the writer, the students could do the tasks or
exercises better through playing games than if they did the tasks in an usual teaching
method. It is not always true that games only have fun aspect without having the
educational one. In fact, games can really help the students in increasing their
English performance. The English ability of the students increased rapidly because
they had the chance to be more active. Moreover, games gave the chance for very
shy students to be more and more active in class. As a result, their ability in doing the
tasks was better and better. The teaching method of applying games can really affect
the acquisition of the good mark of the students. It proved that games can really
affect the good students’ English performance.
Applying games in the class can really produce some advantages toward the
students. Therefore, the writer states that the effectiveness of applying games
towards students’ learning motivation and students’ English performance can be seen
as follows:
1. The students are highly motivated since games are amusing, interesting, and
at the same time challenging.
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2. Games encourage the students to interact, communicate, and cooperate.
Moreover, games can give shy students more opportunity to express their
opinions and feelings.
3. Games can lower students’ anxiety and stress, thus making the acquisition of
input more likely.
4. Games help the students see beauty in a foreign language, and not just
problems that at times seem overwhelmly. They do not worry about errors
and punishments, even; they will learn a grammatical rule and have a chance
to use it.
5. Games provide language practice in the various skills; speaking, writing,
reading, and listening. Besides, the mark of doing tasks can increase well,
because they can learn English better and faster by playing games.
6. Games can enormously increase students’ ability in using English, because
they have a chance to use English in the situation provided. Also, games will
link the students to the real world, because they can actually speak like this
outside the classroom.
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CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION
A. Conclusion
There are some conclusions that can be gained based on the discussion in
Chapter III. The conclusions are as follows:
1. The English teaching process by applying games can be divided into three
steps; they are warming up (motivating strategies), presentation, and
production. The use of game itself was hold in the last step that is the
production step. There are some games applied in the production step, such as
completing the missing letters, arranging letters, puzzle, and word-guessing
and writing game. The games can stimulate the students to be more and more
active and to be cooperative each other. Playing games can make them feel
enjoyable and comfortable to join the English learning process. Actually,
before the games were played by them, the writer explained the rules of the
games first. Demonstrations were applied to help them to understand and to
follow the rules well. Then, the writer asked them to play the games based on
the rules that had been explained before.
2. By teaching English applying games in the class, the writer can prove that
applying games in the English teaching and learning process is an effective
strategy to be done. There are some advantages that can be gained, such as
increasing students’ learning motivation and students’ English performance.
In fact, teaching English applying games in the year 5 of Widya Wacana II
Elementary School proves that games are really highly motivating because
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they are amusing, interesting, and challenging. Besides, games can increase
students’ ability in the various skills, namely writing, speaking, reading, and
listening. In doing tasks by applying games, they are also hardly perfect. In
the other words, they can master the materials easily and do the tasks well
without having any meaningful errors. Therefore, the application of games in
the English teaching can really affect and increase students’ learning
motivation and students’ English performance. Finally, it really becomes an
effective strategy in teaching English successfully.
B. Suggestion
Based on the conclusions that have been explained, the writer wants eagerly
to give some suggestions, as follows:
1. The Institution, Widya Wacana II Elementary School, Surakarta
The role of game tools is really important as it is one of the factors that
support the success of English teaching and learning process. It is expected
that the institution provides any kinds of game tools, such as kinds of flash
cards, puzzle boxes, etc. It is also expected that those game tools can help the
students to be more enthusiastic and motivated to join the English lesson.
2. The English Teachers.
It is not wasted-thing to apply games in the English class. It is really expected
to apply games in order to help the students in learning English easily and
fast in an enjoyable situation. This effective strategy is expected to be good
method applied by the English teachers in the English teaching and learning
process.
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