The Implementation of Scavenger Hunt Game in Teaching Reading of Descriptive Text at SMAN 1 Taman

by: Irinne Dwi Yuliawati, Guru SMAN 1 Taman

Reading is a fundamental skill for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. It enables them to access information, expand their vocabulary, and improve their overall language proficiency. Effective reading skill is crucial for students’ academic and personal success. In fact, in “merdeka” curriculum, reading text (literacy) alongside with numeracy are the main two essential issues to be taught. There are some common types of English text studied in Indonesian high school level, such as narrative, descriptive, expository, and argumentative.

Descriptive text is a part of the compulsory English lesson for eleventh graders. The text aims to create a vivid mental image of a person, place, or thing (Izzati, 2018). Descriptive text is commonly found in various forms, such as textbook, travel catalogue, and product descriptions. By learning to read and understand descriptive text, EFL students can develop their ability to analyze the text based on the social function, generic structures and language features.

Given the importance of descriptive text in EFL, teacher should try to find an innovative approach to make reading more engaging and enjoyable. It is essential to employ teaching methods that are both effective and engaging. Traditional approaches, such as reading aloud and answering comprehension questions, can be helpful but may not always capture students’ interest. Based on the research, scavenger hunt game could be applied in descriptive text lesson to enhance students reading comprehension (Amelia & Prystiananta, 2020). From their research, scavenger hunt game created interactive and joyful learning activities.

In our last meeting, we had  an English class in XI F8. Talking about descriptive text, we have implemented a scavenger hunt game in learning process. A scavenger hunt is a game that involves searching for hidden items or clues. In the context of teaching descriptive text, a scavenger hunt can be designed to help students practice their reading skills and deepen their understanding of descriptive features.

To implement a scavenger hunt in a reading class, teacher created clues based on the descriptive text being studied and hid them around the classroom. Students were divided into teams and gave each team the initial clue. The teacher guided them as needed and awarded points for correctly identified clues. After the hunt, we discussed the descriptive features used in the text and how it helped create a vivid mental image.

To assess the effectiveness of the scavenger hunt game, it is important to gather feedback from the students. By asking students about their experience, teachers can identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to future activities. Overall, the implementation of the scavenger hunt game in teaching reading of descriptive text at SMAN 1 Taman offers a promising approach to enhance student engagement and learning. By incorporating interactive and joyful activities into the classroom, teacher can create more positive and effective learning environment for EFL students.

References

Amelia, M., & Prystiananta, N. C. (2020). The Effect of Scavenger Hunt Game on Students’ Reading Comprehension of Descriptive Text. Linguistic, English education and art (LEEA) journal, 3(2), 441-457.

Izzati, N. (2018). The influence of students’ imagination toward their writing skill of descriptive text. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Walisongo.