PENINGKATAN MOTIVASI PELAJAR DALAM PEMAHAMAN DAN PENGGUNAAN PENANDA WACANA BAHASA INGGERIS DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN PERMAINAN PAPAN LINK-IT

Transitional linkers are essential in English language writing and speaking skills. Failure to master the use of linkers will result in miscommunication in text messages and oral communication due to obscurity in meaning. Most English language instructors teach linkers through talks, seminars, or lectures. This paper aims to examine the motivational improvement of students in the mastery of English transitional linkers through playing a self-developed physical board game called LINK-IT. As a measure of the students’ motivation, a survey was conducted on their perceptions as an effort to enhance the understanding of English transitional linkers through playing LINK-IT. The respondents consist of 40 Engineering students from a private university in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia. Questionnaires were distributed to the respondents using Google Form and the data was analysed using SPSS. The findings suggest that when the students played LINK-IT, their level of motivation increased exponentially, and this helped them understand and remember the rules of using English transitional linkers better. Based on the positive results, this study is expected to be a reference in helping students to master the use of English transitional linkers and become more confident in using them.