Enriching Students’ Vocabulary by Using Charade Game

DESI YULASTRI Politeknik Negeri Padang, Kampus Limau Manis, Padang, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia

E-mail : desiyulastri@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Having many vocabulary will be useful for the learners help them in acquiring the four skill in English; speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The main obstacle for the learners nowadays is lack of vocabulary itself. This condition make the teachers to create various techniques to be implemented in the classroom for English language learning. In this article, writer discusses one of the ways in enriching the learners vocabulary by using Charade game. This game is interesting and can help the learners in expanding and enriching their English vocabulary. In this game, the words are shown through body movement or pantomime. By implementing this game in the classroom, the learners can involve actively , and the teachers are able to make learning process fun, interesting, valuable and effective, if the game is conducted in a good way. The game also motivates the learners to learn English more and teaches them to respect each others since there is a competition in the game. Keywords: Charade game, vocabulary

INTRODUCTION Having ability in knowing the meaning of words in English is important for learners, since knowing as many vocabulary as possible in English will give lot of contribution for learners to acquire the four skills in English; speaking, listening, reading, and writing. As Zimmerman in Coady (1997) says that vocabulary is central to language, it is a must for the learners today to acquire vocabulary. The learners may not get into difficulties in expressing their ideas if they acquire many vocabulary.

The situation will be different if the learners lack of vocabulary. The learners may have problems in reading, speaking, and writing since the skills acquire many vocabulary. These problems can effect to the learners progress. Learning English will take a long time for the learner if he or she does not want to improve his or her vocabulary.

From the writer’s observation, teaching vocabulary seems not a priority for teacher in classroom. The vocabulary subject is considered as additional thing in teaching. Mostly, the teacher used direct translation in teaching vocabulary. However, this way sometimes does not appropriate for the learners since they may get bored and can easily forget about the words they learnt.

Most of the time, the teacher failed to conduct vocabulary lesson in the classroom. It may happen because the teacher often could not create an interesting environment in the classroom during the lesson. The teacher often asks students to memorize a number of word lists every day. This way may lead to unsuccessful in learning. Whereas, success in learning often depends on the number of senses which are used in the learning process (Allen, 1983). When students can touch, hear, and see the word that names it, there is a possibility that the word will be remembered by the students. For that purpose, teacher’s creativity is needed

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mostly. The using of Charade game can be one of the interesting ways in enriching students’ vocabulary. By implementing this game, the students can expand their vocabulary because the game is interesting and stimulating.

THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM

According to Dulay, et.al (1982), “making errors is an inevitable part of learning.” It is impossible for the learners to avoid committing errors in learning a language especially if it is a foreign language. Furthermore, this study is attempted to reveal the grammatical errors with the following problems identified:

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

THE CONCEPT OF VOCABULARY Cruse (2000) defines vocabulary as a list of words that have meaning. Then, Bolton (2003) adds that vocabulary is a list of difficult or foreign words with an explanation of their meanings.

In relation with teaching and learning, Ur (1991) suggests that vocabulary is as the words we teach in the foreign language. It is supported by Zimmerman in Coady (1997) that vocabulary is central to language and of critical importance to the typical language learner.

TEACHING VOCABULARY

Teaching vocabulary is an important aspect that teacher should pay attention to. It is because vocabulary may effect to students’ ability in acquiring the four skills; speaking, listening, and writing. The various approaches in foreign language teaching have lead to different values and methods in teaching vocabulary. Nunan (2000), states that the focus in the vocabulary class is how to encourage the students to develop strategies for inferring the meaning of new words from context in which occur, and teaching them to use a range of clues, both verbal and non-vrbal to determine meaning.

In addition, Nation in Coady (1997) says that in teaching vocabulary, teacher should decide what vocabulary will be selected for teaching, how it will be sequenced, and how it will be presented. Furthermore, Moras (2000) adds that meaningful task is the best answer to teaching vocabulary, as it relies on students’ experiences and reality to facilitate learning. More meaningful task also requires the students to analyse and process language more deeply, which help them retain information in long-term memory.

Meanwhile, Wanzek (2003) suggests that the goal in vocabulary lesson is that the learner can understand the meaning of new words. The instructional components of a vocabulary lesson include describing the meaning of words in a sentence or identifying synonyms and antonyms of a given word. In teaching new vocabulary, Wanzek (2003) suggests some activities for teacher as follows:

a. Synonyms and antonyms, to connect meaning to words that studens already know. b. Demonstrations, objects and pictures, to demonstrate and show students word

meanings to provide students with more concrete meaning. c. Definitions; the most abstract way of teaching meaning. Use definitions in conjunction

with demonstrations, objects, and pictures, or synonyms and antonyms to provide more concrete knowledge.

In addition, Moras (2001) gives some considerations that the teacher can use in presenting new vocabulary:

a. Use a wall (with visual) to introduce and reinforce unit specific vocabulary.

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b. Teach essential vocabulary using a variety of strategies (e.g. flash card, repetition, modelling, and singing).

c. Teach language structure by highlighting specific structures. d. Provide numerous opportunities for practice. e. Encourage the use of pictures, dictionaries to convey and clarify meaning of words. f. Have students to maintain a personal dictionary of science and design vocabulary.

THE CONCEPT OF CHARADE GAME

Charade game has been spread out in Western countries. Charade is an acting game. There are many kinds of Charades that people played;word, phrase,action,and feeling. According to Nau (2000), Charade is a game of pantomimes.One should have to act out a phrase without speaking, while the others try to guess what the phrase is. Similarly,Tate (2004) adds that Charade is acting out words, actions,or feelings in a text. In addition, Glouberman (2003) says that Charade is a game using the face and the body to communicate. Glouberman (2003) furthermore notes some points that should be examined in the game:

1. Keeping from talking 2. Physical communication skills (body, face, gestures, etc) 3. Shared and nonshared cultural references 4. Learning to see things from the other person’s perspective 5. Emotion in communication: what to do when your partner frustrates you 6. Development of specific vocabulary 7. Effects of competition on effectiveness and enjoyment

It can be concluded that Charade game is a game or guessing game using body, face, gesture, and mime to visualize the words, phrases, feelings, actions, etc without speaking.

DISCUSSION

In conducting the classroom activity,the teacher should prepare all in a good way. In applying the Charade game in classroom, the teacher should consider the experience and knowledge that the students will get from the activity. The Charade game is best for reviewing the lesson, especially in reviewing specific vocabulary items. After the game is done, the students may get new vocabulary items.

In order to make the activity in class succeed,the teacher should do all steps in sequence. This will help the teacher in managing the class as a whole. The teacher should write procedures of the game that will be delivered in class. The ability in organizing the procedures of learning in class is important for the teacher since it may effect the students’ experience in learning. The teacher will need some procedures in applying the Charade game in class.

SOME POINTS FOR TEACHER IN USING CHARADE IN CLASSROOM

The first thing to do by the teacher in conducting this Charade game is that to establish the purpose of the activity. If the activity is for reviewing the lesson, the teacher should make list of words that have already learnt by the students. The following are some points for the teacher in using Charade game in classroom.

Firstly, the teacher has to find several topics for for Charade game that will be given to the students. The topic, of course, should be appropriate with the students’ level.

Secondly, the teacher should write a list of words that have related with the topic of the lesson in index cards.

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Thirdly, the teacher should act or pantomime all the words that have been written.It is suggested to try out first the game with the teacher’s colleagues in order to measure the rank of difficulties of the game.

Fourthly, the teacher has to be ready for discussing the topic after the game finish as follow up activity. Furthermore, the teacher also has to have a good timer to count the students’ time in game. The teacher should be ready with post activity after the game. It is up to the teacher whether to give reading comprehension, speaking or even writing as post activity.

THE ACTIVITIES IN CLASSROOM

Firstly, before starting the game, it is better for the teacher to give warming up activity. Then, divide the class into two teams since the game is a competition. Let the students know that they are going to have a Charade game and let them know that they will compete in team. The teacher then explains how to play the game and the rules of the games.

Secondly, the teacher should list every word that will be given. Index cards might be useful as a tool in the game. The teacher writes list of words in the index cards and put in a basket or box.

Thirdly, during the Charade game, the teacher has to make sure that all students involve and participate in the game. The teacher also takes a note for every mistake students made in guessing the words. Later, the teacher may discuss about the mistakes with the students. The point in Charade game, sometimes,is not in guessing the right words but much of the lesson is in the wrong guesses students make.

Fourthly, after the Charade game is finished,the teacher can lead the class to post game discussion for reviewing the game and looking the students opinion about what had happened during the game. This is the perfect time for the teacher to lead the discussion to the topic that the teacher refers to.

SAMPLE OF LESSON PLAN

The following is the sample of lesson plan using Charade game.In this lesson plan, the teacher gives the game as lesson reviewing. The lesson that will be reviewed is about sport activities.

1. Pre-teaching activity a. After the teacher opens the class, the teacher should give warming up activity to

the students. The teacher can ask what sport that the students mostly like. The teacher may ask about how to play that sport or what tools to be used in that sport.

b. The teacher then tells the students that the can guess the sport from the action the athletes do and the tools they used.

c. Later, the teacher tells the students that they are going to play Charade game in order to guess the sport activity.

2. Whilst teaching activity a. The teacher explains what Charade game is to the students. The Charade game is

pantomime game. There will be two teams will perform in the game. The teacher will placed the index cards that have been prepared before in a box, and the team members take the card in turn. The teacher tells the rules of the game. The first person of team 1 will act like what the word she/ he gets from the card without speaking. While he other members of team 1 guess what word is that. If in 60

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seconds the members of team 1 cannot answer it, team 2 can guess it. For every correct answer, there will be a point for that.

b. The teacher then placed a basket full of index cads. The words written in index cards are all about sport activity, for exagueomple, basketball,swimming, badminton, karate, etc.

c. Ask the team to start the game. Ask the player of team 1 to demonstrate the word he or she gets from the index card in turn without speaking. One of the members of team1 should guess what word is that in 60 seconds. If he/she cannot guess, then the second team can guess. One point for one item.The teacher has to note the score on the board.The game then run in turn.

d. Ask the students to write the words that have been guessed in their books. e. If there are words that cannot be guessed by the students, make a note of that

words. When all words have been guessed, let the students know which teams won the game. It is good for the teacher to give reward to the winner team.

f. After the game finished, ask the winner team about their feeling related with with their winning. For another team, ask why the team lose the game. What part make them lose, and what words seem difficult to guess.

g. Later, the teacher can explain some words that might not clear for the students. If necessary, ask the students to check the meaning in dictionary.

h. Ask the students to write on their book the words they learn at that time.

3. Post teaching activity a. Discuss the game as a whole, which part the students get difficulties. b. Then, ask the students to make sentences from the words in Charade game they

have played already. If there is not enough time, this can be as homework for them.

THE ADVANTAGES OF USING THE CHARADE GAME

There are many advantages the teacher have from the Charade game. The game may reduce the students’ anxiety in classroom. The fun and enjoyable environment is able to raise students’ motivation in learning. The game also enables the students to acquire new experiences in foreign language. It also helps the students to expand their vocabulary. The Charade game also helps the students to build their vocabulary. The wrong guesses in the game may give much lesson for the students because they learn the correct one after that. It also can build students’ confidence in using the vocabulary they have learned in the game into daily communication.

Furthermore, the students can have lesson about fair play and sportivity since this is a competition game. The game also teaches the students to see things from the other person’s perspective. For the teachers, this game can help them to make learning process become more interesting, valuable, and effective if it is conducted in a good way.

CONCLUSION

Knowing many vocabulary in English will give significant effect for the learner in acquiring four skills; speaking, listening, reading, and writing. In supporting the learner to expand and enrich the vocabulary, the teacher has to use various learning strategies and aids in the classroom. Through the Charade game, the learner may enrich and expand his/her vocabulary, and also the game is able to attract the learners’ interest since there is a

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competition in that game. The teacher may use his/her creativity in choosing the topic of the game, and can use this game as follow-up activity as well.

REFERENCE

Coady, James and Thomas Huckin.(1997). Second language vocabulary acquisition. Cambridge: Cambdge University Press.

Cruse, Allan. (2000). Meaning in language: an introduction to semantics and pragmatics. New York: Oxford University Press.

Glouberman, Misha. (2003). How to get very good at playing charades. Retrieved on June 12th 2015 from http://www.room101games.com/charades/

Moras, Solange. (2000). Teaching vocabulary to advance students: a lexical approach. Retrieved on May 26th 2015, from http://www.3telus.net/linguisticsissues/index

Nau, Dana. (2000). Rules for the game of charades. Retrieved on June 12 th 2015, from http://www.readingrockets.org/article.php?ID=472

Nunan, David.(2000). Language teaching methodology: a textbook for teachers. London: Pearson Education. Tate, Marcia L. (2004). Comprehension, vocabulary and fluency. Retrieved on June 12 th 2015, from

http://www.dynamicphonics.com/page13.html Ur, Penny. (1991). A Course in language teaching:practice and theory. Australia: Cambridge University Press Wanzek, Jeanne. (2003). Vocabulary instruction. Retrieved on May 26 th 2015, from

http://www.texasreading.org/3tier/components/vocabulary_activies.asp

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