Boosting young EFL students’ speaking through game activities

Abstract

English is treated as a foreign language in Indonesia. The language is introduced to students in public schools from Grade 7. This qualitative study investigated English teachers’ efforts in using game activities in teaching speaking and the problems faced in its implementation to EFL (English as a Foreign Langauge) young learners, aged 12-13 years old, at a public middle school in Banda Aceh. Two English teachers from two classes of Grade 7 students were audio-recorded and observed while teaching, and further given a questionnaire. The findings found that both teachers used game activities in their classes. Problems faced by the teachers in implementing these activities revolved around their preparation, class participation and class management. The discussion is elaborated in the paper. The study suggests that well-planned preparation, better class management and a focus more on the students’ participation are needed to reduce difficulty in carrying out these activities in large class sizes.