2.2 Characteristics of Young Learner’s Learning

According to Brown (2001) children will be successful in learning a new language as long as the teachers takes into consideration their characteristics and intellectual development in teaching learning process. As a teacher we should be able to recognize our students characteristics to create good learning environment.

They cannot be expected to sit down and do particular activity for long time. They learn by having fun (Pinter, 2006). They love to play and learn best when they are enjoying the activity (Scott & Ytreberg, 2004). It is because they still have limited reading and writing skills even in their first language (Pinter, 2006) So, playing is the most common activity for them to gain knowledge.

Harmer (2008) describes different characteristics of young learners as follow:

• Children respond to meaning even they do not understand individual word.

• They often learn indirectly rather than directly that is they take in information from all sides, learning from everything around them rather than only focusing on the precise topic they are being taught.

• Their understanding comes not just from explanation but from what they see and hear, and crucially, have a change to touch and interact with

• Generally, they display an enthusiasm for learning and a curiously about the world around them.

• They have a need for individual attention and approval from the teacher.

• They are keen on talking about themselves and respond well to learn that uses themselves and their own lives as main topics in the class room.

• They have a limited attention span, unless activities are extremely engaging they can easily get bored, losing interest after ten minutes or so.

Piaget (1976) categorized characteristics of children’s development. Children between the age of five to eleven all develop formal thinking in their schooling even is not actually fully and automatically achieved by all teenagers or even adult. They are flexible in teaching learning process. They are easy to add and subtract something based on what they hear and see.

2.3 The Importance of Games in teaching Vocabulary to Young Learners

According to Lewis (1999) Games are fun and children like to play them. Through games children experiment, discover, and interact with their environment. Games add variation to a lesson and increase motivation by providing a plausible incentive to use the target language. For many children between four and twelve years old, especially the youngest, language learning will not be the key motivational factor. Games can provide this stimulus.

The game context makes the foreign language immediately useful to the children. It brings the target language to life. The game makes the reasons for speaking plausible even to reluctant children.

Harmer (2008) says that the ability to speak English fluently is not only knowledge of language features, but also the ability to process information and language ‘ on the spot’. Therefore, to become a fluent speaker, learner needs so much practice through appropriate and variety techniques which can help them to process information and language in simultaneous operation.

Allen (1983: 52) states the importance of games in teaching vocabulary:

Games are helpful because they can make students feel that certain words are important and necessary, because without those words, the object of the game cannot be achieved. Guessing game, for example, create conditions in which the use of the target language is necessary for leading the players to the correct guess.

Using games as one of the technique that makes children encouraged to be cooperative in applying the language.

According to Huyen, Nga, and Uberman, games bring relax and fun atmosphere for students, thus help them learn and retain new words faster and better. Second they also suggest that games usually involve friendly competition and keep learners interested. These create the motivation for learners of English to get involved and participate actively in the learning activities. Therefore the games give shy students more opportunity to express their opinions and feelings (Huyen ang Nga, 2003, Uberman, 1998). Uberman (1998) states that games help students not only enjoy and entertain with the language they learn, but also practice it incidentally.

According to Vernon (2009), games also provide wonderful atmosphere in the children’s language class. It is widely documented that English language games improve learning, and with children, they are one of the most effective classroom tools. Children are willing participants and are not just present in class because they have to be. Students pay more attention because when they enjoy themselves, they do better, feel better about themselves, and do even better. Playing a game has a purpose and an outcome. In order to play, students have to say things. Therefore, they have a reason to communicate and this makes them want to know and learn more. In addition to this, games stimulate and motivate children to a new level. They know that if they do not pay attention, they will not be able to play the game well and they will let their team down so they make more effort to join in and learn as much as possible.

The proverb ‘repetition is the mother of skill’ becomes very meaningful during the games in children’s language class as students get to use the language all the time with a lot of repetition. Although repetition is boring in some cases, during games it is fun for children. Also because of the fun involved in the game a massive amount of vocabulary and grammar can be revised in a short time because it is very difficult for learners to remember vocabulary if they never use it. Furthermore, the physical movement involved in some of the games also helps keep children stimulated and alert. Children naturally have a lot of energy and are not good at attending formal lessons for long periods, and so if they participate in a game involving physical movements from time to time, they will never get impatient and bored. Most importantly, the philosophy of encouragement incorporated into these games increases confidence in all students. Usually this does not just mean they get better at only English, but in all subjects in school. This in turn makes the teachers more motivated and optimistic, and they can really make a difference in their lessons. Vernon stated that:

Apart from all this, language games like any other games involve learners in a healthy competition that can help them learn more. “As long as no one is forced to participate, competition can be positive and encourage player discovery, examination and learning.”

Thus, creating the right type of language games can foster this healthy, beneficial competition in the classroom.