English has become a scary lesson for most students in Santo Aloysius Turi Junior High School. “Some students think that math is much easier than English,” says Miss Lia, the only one English teacher in that school. This fear towards English is reasonable since the method of teaching is usually very formal and boring.
Nowadays, English has become so important not only as a subject to learn, but also as a tool to study more in this globalization era. TIKI 2010 (Teknik Industri Kelas Internasional) Universitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta try to bring English closer to high school students, especially to Saint Aloysius Turi Junior High School in order to help the students both in learning English and using English as a tool for them to grasp a global future. By having some fun games with the TIKI 2010 to make the high school students to enjoy learning English.
Br. Yulius, CSA as the Vice Head Master of St. Aloysius Turi Junior High School, at the opening of the Invention Wor(l)d Event, says, “We are all giving a warm welcome to TIKI 2010 UAJY and are ready to have a fun English learning through some games prepared by TIKI 2010 UAJY”, says Br. Yulius, CSA to open the Invention Wor(l)d Event. Then he continues, ”I hope all of the students will enjoy the games and get more knowledge in English in this relaxed atmosphere”.
Great invention in the world is chosen as the theme of the games. Common terminologies in engineering and science are also used in order to introduce engineering world to the students of St. Aloysius Turi Junior High School.
Although engineering vocabulary is quite foreign for the seven or eight graders, the students try to do their best to win the games. There are three group-games. The first is a crossword puzzle. In this game, each group composed of 5 to 6 students need to fill five words in the crossword puzzle to win some clues. The second game is guessing words where each group has to guess five words by listening to some descriptions related to the word. The third game is charade. Each group has to guess what the actor means about a specific word related to engineering or science by looking at the gesture of the actor. All the 18 group of students perform well in the three games.
Five groups having more clues than the others, then, compete to win the first position in the Invention Wor(l)d final game. Each of the five groups has to make a short story related to the specific theme of invention given to them by using the clues they win in the three previous games. Finally, group 16 comes out as the winner and win some merchandise from TIKI 2010 UAJY.
Margaret, one of the students in St. Aloysius Turi Junior High School gives her comments about the Invention Wor(l)d event, “The games are quite difficult for us, but we are encouraged to win each game to be the first champion.” The Invention Wor(l)d ends with a big applause from the students as they know that English is not that scary anymore. Indeed, it is not scary. English is just a language that can bring them to great inventions and who knows that one day they will become the great inventors themselves.
Written by : Yoga Adhisatya (TIKI batch 2010)