The Effectiveness of Pictionary Game Siti Fadhilah

The Effectivenes of Pictionary Game to Teach Concrete

Nouns
by:
Siti Fadhilah
Siti.fadhilah5@gmail.com
(Walisongo State Institute for Islamic Studies
Semarang)
Abstract
The research discusses the effectiveness of teaching English
concrete noun using Pictionary game to the fourth graders of
elementary school. The background of the study in this research
is based on the phenomena that students in SDN 01 Donowangun
Pekalongan usually get bored to learn vocabulary especially on
concrete nouns. It is more emphasizing on active learning and
language teaching, because it makes students more active. The
result of the research: The use of Pictionary game as technique in
teaching concrete nouns was effective. There was a significance
difference in the achievement between students in class IV A
experimental class) and students in class IV B (control class). It is
showed of the mean of experimental class is higher than control
class (80.70 > 73.35). On the other hand, the test of hypothesis
using t-test formula shows the value of the t-test is higher than
the value of the t-table. The value is (3.141 > 1.68). The
hypothesis was accepted.
Keywords: Pictionary game, EFL, Vocabulary

A. Introduction
Language is most important as a means of communication for
human beings. People can communicate each other to have
interaction by language. In this global era where the distance is not
such a problem, people have to do interaction with another (Ramelan,
1999).
People nowadays have to do many things to survive their life,
thats why they have to do the business not only from the local area
but also with the people who come from a very long distance. In this
world there are many tribes, culture, countries, in which each of them
has the different language.
English has become the most global language, the lingua franca
of business, science, education, politics and music. More than 300
millions people in the world speak English. Since the proclamation of
Indonesia on the 17th of August 1945 English has been taught in this
country as the first foreign language. This is not the first time that the
teaching of a foreign language is introduced in the curriculum of
Indonesian school. English language has been studied since before
Indonesian Independence day, in fact even since centuries a go. It is

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The Effectiveness of Pictionary Game Siti Fadhilah

the first foreign language in our country. In the world, it is the world
language. In Indonesia, English language has been included in the
curriculum of Elementary School to University. Even in some regions,
besides using Indonesian language they also use English language to
communicate at school. We have to know how to use English well. In
order to be able to use it well, we have to improve speaking, listening,
writing and reading skills. Speaking and listening are said to relate to
language expressed through the visual medium. Another way of
representing these skills is by
reference not the medium but the activity of the language user. Thus
speaking and writing are said to be active or productive skill where as
listening and reading are said to be passive or receptive skill
(Widdowson, 1987).
Teaching vocabulary is part of English teaching. Vocabulary
power will facilitate speaking, listening, writing and reading skills.
Vocabulary is one of the most components of language and one of the
first things applied linguists turned their attention too (Richard, 2001).
It can also be articulated as basic building block of language.
Vocabulary items are form which longer structures such as
sentences, paragraph and whole text are formed. When we teach a
language teaching material must be suitable with the students needs.
A good vocabulary learning program should therefore focus on the
appropriate level of vocabulary for the learners. The use of teaching
strategies also should be based on the students characteristics. This
thing is appropriate to young learners. Because of with vocabulary,
they can be good speaker or translator future. Rivers argued that the
acquisition of an adequate vocabulary is essential for successful
second language use, because without an extensive vocabulary, we
will be unable to use the structures and function, we may have
learned for comprehensible communication, (Nunan, 1995).
In this paper, the researcher will try to study about noun,
because noun is part of vocabulary. The popular definition of a noun is
that it describes a person, place or thing. Nouns convey a substantial
proportion of the information in most texts (Parrot 2010).
In English, nouns may be defined as those words with can occur
with articles and attributive adjectives and can be functioned as the
head of a noun phrase. In traditional English grammar, noun is one of
the eight parts of speech. Some classifications of nouns are; proper
noun and common noun, countable noun and uncountable noun,
concrete noun and abstract noun. This study will be focused on
concrete noun.
To support this study, the researcher will use two ways. The first
is using Pictionary game. This game may become an alternative way
to teach English nouns for beginning level. It is more emphasizing on
active learning and contextual language teaching, because it makes
students more active. The teacher just stands and as a resource and
facilitator. Students are given instruction to look for some picture or
nouns according to the picture. Before that, the teacher introduced the
materials. The second is using non-Pictionary game. This is one of

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The Effectiveness of Pictionary Game Siti Fadhilah

conventional ways in teaching English. Here the teacher is more active

than students, because the teacher just gives the lecture or
explanation of the materials. Both of two ways have the same
purpose. It is way on teaching English concrete nouns.
The two groups of participants are assumed to be equivalent
because they are assigned to the groups randomly. Both groups will
take a pre-test on to measure their academic writing ability (helping to
determine if the two groups are indeed, equivalent). Actually, this
study was done to find out the acquisition of writing concrete nouns by
student taught with Pictionary game is different from that taught with
non Pictionary game.

B. Literary Review
1. Vocabulary
Vocabulary is one of the most components of language and
one of the fist things applied linguists turned their attention too. 4
Teaching vocabulary is part of English teaching. Vocabulary power
will facilitate speaking, listening, writing and reading skills. Noun is
part of vocabulary. In English, there are many definitions and kinds
of noun.
1. Definition of Noun

Most learners are more concerned with the meaning of

nouns than with their grammar. However, in learning to use
noun, they need to pay attention to a variety of grammatical
factors. The popular definition of a noun is that it describes a
person, place or thing (Richards, 2001). According to Hornby,
noun is something exists in a form that can be touched, felt,
seen, etc; real or solid (Parrot, 2004). In fact, we use nouns to
express a range of additional meanings such as concept,
qualities, organization communities, sensation and event.
2. How to Teach Concrete Noun
Teaching English noun is teaching English vocabulary that is
focused on nouns. English nouns are nouns that are used in
English language.
Sukun Pribadi a master of IKIP Bandung said that teaching is
an activity that involves founding child about cognitive aspect
and psychomotor aspect. In order to child more much knowledge,
critical, systematically, writing, reading, running fast, swimming,
make radio and
others. Quality teaching is achieved not only as a consequence of
how well teachers teach but through creating context and work
environment that can facilitate good teaching. There are four
factors which facilitate good teaching, they are: institutional
factors, teacher factor, teaching factors and learners factor
(Richard, 2001).
a. Institutional factors

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The organizational culture of a school refers to the ethos and

environment that exist within a school, the kind of
communication and decision make that take place, and
staffing structure they sport.
b. Teachers factors
Many things can be done to create a context for good
teaching, but it is teachers themselves who ultimately
determine the success of a program. Good teacher can
compensate for deficiencies in the curriculum, the materials,
or the resource they make use in their teaching.
c. Teaching factors
The focus here is on the teaching practice that occurs within a
program, how these can be characterized, and how quality
teaching can be achieved and maintained. In language
teaching programs, teaching models are often based on
particular methods or approach. For example: the
communicative approach, the cooperative learning
model, the process approach and the whole language
approach.
d. Learners factors
Learning is not the mirror image of teaching. The extent to
which teaching achieves its goals will also depend on how
successfully learners have been considered in the planning
and delivery process. The following factors may affect how
successfully a course is received by learners. They are:
understanding of the course, view of learning, learning styles,
motivation and support.

In teaching-learning process, teachers use media to teach

their students were to make easier students understanding.
Media is whatever served from five senses as a purpose
understanding meaning as careful and fast. So, the researcher
uses Pictionary game and picture as media to teach concrete
nouns.

2. Pictionary Game
a. Procedure of Pictionary Game in Teaching
1) Game
Game is a structured activity, usually undertaken for
enjoyment and sometime used as an educational tool. Games
are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for
remuneration and from art, which is more concerned with the
expression of ideas. Game-based activities can involve
practice of oral strategies such as describing, predicting,

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The Effectiveness of Pictionary Game Siti Fadhilah

simplifying, asking for feedback, through activities such as

feeling in questionnaires and guessing unknown information.
Even though these activities are called games, there by
amplifying fun, they are also communication based and
require the learners to use the information they find out in
collaborative way for successful completion of a particular
task (Shaw, 2003).
2) Pictionary Game
Pictionary game is a picture-based guessing game. Brian
Robin (2010) said that Pictionary game is a children's game
show based on the board game of the same name, in which
two teams of children competed in a drawing game for prize.
Teaching concrete nouns using Pictionary game means the
teacher and the students use picture-based guessing game to
understanding the materials. The students study and
remember the words from the game that they are play. Before
conducting the teaching by means of Pictionary game, there
are many things to be prepared by the teacher in order to
make the teaching learning process well-prepared and more
systematic. Here are the things should be prepared in
advance.
a) Students pre-test score. This score becomes the guidance
for
teacher to determine the student groups in different ability.
b) The arrangement of team list consisting of 7 students in
each
team.
c) Lesson Plan.
d) Worksheets containing the given material. These
worksheets are used for studying to be discussed in team
work.
e) Test containing the given material to be completed in
tournament phase.
f) The post test to measure the students understanding in
last session of teaching learning.

The steps to play the Pictionary game in teaching concrete

nouns divide two seasons are:
Season one
- Teacher divides the students into two groups
- Teacher gives some instruments how to play the game
- Teacher asks every groups to send a volunteer as instructor
- Teacher gives five flash card pictures to the instructor

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The Effectiveness of Pictionary Game Siti Fadhilah

- Teacher asks every instructor to come forward one by one to

draw some object that she/he gets from the teacher on the
blackboard and asks the group to guessing it
- Every group have two minutes to guessing five pictures
- Teacher evaluates the students answer
- Finally, the group who guessing all of the picture correctly as
a winner and get 10 points

Season two
- Teacher divides students into two groups
- Teacher gives some instruments how to play the game
- Teacher shows 3 flashcards to the groups
- Teacher asks the first group to choose a flashcard then followed by the
second group
- Then teacher gives some clue of the pictures on the flashcard one by one and
asks the group to guessing it
- Every group has 5 minutes to guessing 10 words
- The group who guessing all of words correctly get 10 points
- The last one flashcard should be guessing by all of groups
- Whose group that know the answer should rise the hand before answer the
question
- Each question contain of 2 points
- Finally, the group who guessing a lot of words correctly as a winner

b. Advantage and Disadvantage of Pictionary Game

The advantage of Pictionary game since role-play and simulation activities are
most kids enjoy the challenge of participating in games, and the process of
playing some activities may actually make them smarter and more capable.
Among other abilities, games help develop kids' motor skills, social capacities,
memory and creativity (Osinska, 2010). Game also is more practice activities
than teaching activities; they are useful and more suitable for consolidating and
practicing aspects of conversational proficiency than teaching new forms. This
game is also good for reviewing the vocabulary. And disadvantages of pictionary
game are make students be noisy and not condusive in the class teaching-learning
activity.

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C. Method
In this research, the writer wants to find out the effectiveness of
Pictionary game. So the writer uses method that is called
experimental. That experimental is used to find out the effect of
treatment. The approach used in this research is quantitative. It is
quantitative because the prospect analyzing numerical data send
shivers down the spines many novice researcher who not only baulk
at the thought of statistic but also hold fundamental objection to
what they see as the mathematisation of nature (Cohen, 2007). An
experimental study typically involves two groups: an experimental
group and control group with receives the different treatment. This
study uses design pre test-post test.

Basic Procedures

1. Preliminary Visit
The researcher visited the school to get information about the students and teacher
as participants. To gain the information, the researcher asked the administration
officer whether the school possibly become the setting of research or not by
describing the researchers intention and ask for information about setting and
participants.

2. Contact the Headmaster

Having got the information about setting and participant, the researcher did the
second visit to meet the headmaster of the school by giving the permission letter.

3. Contact the English Teacher 25

After receiving research permission from the headmaster of the school, the
researcher met the English teacher and asked for the data of students and
negotiated what the class should become the participants that were the control and
experimental groups.

4. Give Pre-test
In this session, the researcher gave the pre-test of English concrete nouns, both
experimental and control groups same the multiple choice test were given. This
test was to ensure that both two groups were the same in score. In addition, the
results or score of the test were used to determine the students teams.

5. Give the Treatment

In this session, the experimental group was given the treatment and taught by
researcher as the experimenter while the control group was taught also by the
researcher. Both groups teaches in same material, but was different in teaching
technique that was by Pictionary game and non-pictionary game. During the
treatment, the observation was also conducted to observer.

6. Give Post-test
Having administered the treatment for secondly, the post-test was given to both
groups to test their understanding on English concrete nouns. So, the procedure of
treatment could be seen in the following below:

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The Activities of Experimental Group

1) Pre-test
Pre-test was given before the treatment. The researcher came to the chosen class
and then explained to the students about what they were going to do. Then, the
researcher
distributed the instruments and asked them to do the test.

2) Activities in the classroom

There were some activities in experimental group (Class IV A) as follows:
Time allotment: 2 x 45 minutes
Activities I :
a) Teacher greets the students and asks about their conditions
b) Teacher checks the students attendance by calling the roll
c) Teacher asks to the students about things around us
d) Teacher explains the definition of concrete noun
e) Teacher asks students to work in pair and asks them to make list of things in the
classroom, (under teacher controlled).
f) Teacher divides the students into two groups to plays the picture-guessing game
by turns (Pictionary Game)

Activities II:
a) Teacher asks the students to work in pair and asks them to make list of things
at their home, (under teacher controlled)
b) Teacher divides the students into two groups to plays the picture-guessing game
by turns (Pictionary Game)

3) Post test
Post-test was held after all treatments were conducted.
This test was used to measure students achievement after they were given
treatments. The result of test was analyzed statistically.

The Activities of Control Group

1) Pre- test
Pre-test was given before the treatment. First, the writer came to the class. Then,
he explained to the students what they had to do. Finally, he distributed the
instruments and asked them to do the test.

2) Activities In the Classroom

a) Teacher greets the students and asks about their conditions
b) Teacher checks the students attendance by calling the roll
c) Teacher asks to the students about things around us
d) Teacher explains the definition of concrete noun
e) Teacher asks students to work in pair and asks them to make list of things in
the classroom, (under teacher controlled).
f) Teacher asks students to write the vocabulary on the blackboard one by one
g) Teacher pronouns the vocabulary loudly and students repeat it after her.

Activities II:

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a) Teacher asks students to work in pair and asks them to make list of things at
their home, (under teacher controlled).
b) Teacher asks students to write the vocabulary on the blackboard one by one
c) Teacher pronouns the vocabulary loudly and students repeat it after her.
d) Teacher asks the new vocabulary to the students and than discuss it together.

3) Post- test
Post-test was held after all treatments were conducted. This test was used
to measure students ability after they were given treatments. The result of test
was analyzed statistically.

C. Findings and Discussion

The result of the research shows that the experimental class (the students
who are taught using Pictionary game) has the mean value pre-test was 53.6 and
post-test was 80.70. While the control class (the students who are taught without
using Pictionary game) has the mean value pre-test was 53.0 and post-test was
73.35.
On the other hand, the test of hypothesis using t-test formula shows the
value of the t-test is higher than the critical value. The value of t-test is 3.142,
while the critical value on ts ,0 05 is 1.68. It means that using Pictionary game more
effective than without using Pictionary game in teaching concrete nouns.

D. Conclusion And Suggestion

Based on the finding and discussion in chapter IV, it could be
concluded that the use of Pictionary game as technique in the teaching
concrete nouns was effective. It was proved by the obtained score of t-test.
The t-test showed that t-score 3.14 were higher than t-table 1.68. It meant that
Ha was accepted and Ho was rejected. Since the t-score was higher than the ttable,
there was a significance difference in the achievement between students
in class IV A who were taught concrete nouns using Pictionary game as
technique and students in class IV B who were taught concrete nouns without
using Pictionary game as technique. The average score of experimental group
was 80.70 and the average score of control group was 73.35. It meant that the
experimental group (class IV A) was better than the control group (class IV
B).

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