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The impact of a serious game on vocabulary and content learning
Abstract
One of the more rapidly advancing subfields of second language acquisition research is Digital-game based language learning (DGBLL) and many studies have found that Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) games can have a positive effect on vocabulary acquisition. COTS games are specifically made for entertainment purposes, while serious games, which studies have found to enhance language and content knowledge, are designed for educational purposes. In the present study, a serious game titled Slave Trade was adopted to examine whether vocabulary and knowledge of history can be acquired at the same time and to investigate how the participants perceived the serious game regarding language and history learning. Sixty six college EFL students were recruited to take part in this study. They were required to take pre- and post-tests in both vocabulary and content knowledge and to respond to a user survey. The study found statistically significant improvements in both vocabulary and history knowledge. The vocabulary learning can mainly be attributed to the rich contextual clues of the gaming environment and repetitive exposure to the target words (i.e. more than six times). However, it was also found that words of fewer occurrences could be acquired because of the gaming environment. In addition, the students reported that they had enjoyed a positive learning experience via the serious game. Finally, it is suggested that language teachers should consider making educational use of serious games.
... This has been acknowledged by a number of second language acquisition (SLA) researchers (e.g. Chen & Hsu, 2020;Peterson, 2010Peterson, , 2011Reinders, 2017;Soyoof, 2022;Soyoof et al., 2022;Sykes, 2019) who have advocated the benefits of digital games. Digital games are intrinsically motivating, present language in different yet often simultaneous modalities, and provide an abundance of accessible language inputs, among other characteristics. ...
... Thus, when students are engaging with MMORPGs, the way they can be deployed for language learning purposes should be considered. Student attitudes also play a crucial role in determining whether digital games are effective for language learning purposes: positive attitudes toward games can foster students' motivation and engagement (Anderson et al. 2008;Bolliger et al., 2015;Chen & Hsu, 2020;Soyoof et al., 2022). ...
... Research indicates that L2 gamers possess positive attitudes toward digital games as contexts for language learning (Bolliger et al., 2015;Chen & Hsu, 2020;Chen & Yang, 2013;Müller et al., 2018). Chen and Hsu (2020), in a mixed-method study, found that digital gaming improved the vocabulary and content knowledge of Taiwanese students and that these students had a positive attitude toward learning content and vocabulary through digital gaming. ...
Research has shown that massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) have the potential to offer language learning opportunities. However, there is a dearth of research exploring student attitudes about the potential of these games for language learning. We used the language learning principles framework proposed by Brown and Lee (Citation2015) to explore the attitudes of informal Iranian EFL gamers about the potential of the MMORPG environment for language learning. Using a mixed-methods approach, data collected by means of a questionnaire (N = 500) and semi-structured interviews (N = 20) showed that participant attitudes aligned with eight language learning principles (i.e. autonomy, transfer, reward, self-regulation, identity and investment, interaction, languaculture, and agency). The findings of the study highlight the potential of the MMORPG environment for language learning. Parents and EFL teachers should consider the potential affordances of the MMORPG environment as an alternative or complement to formal English language learning environments.
... In another study, sixty-six non-English majors enrolling at a Taiwanese national university participated (H. J. H. Chen & Hsu, 2020). Participants included 66 undergraduate EFL students, 56 men and 10 females between the ages of 18 and 20 enrolled in general English classes at a Taiwanese vocational institution (Fang et al., 2021). ...
... In some studies, mobile applications such as WhatsApp (Andujar, 2020;Andujar & Salaberri-Ramiro, 2021) and KakaoTalk (Wrigglesworth, 2020), audioconferencing (Knight et al., 2020) were preferred for communication. The game named "Playing History" (Chen & Hsu, 2020) and "Pokémon Go" (Wu, 2021) were used to serve objectives of the studies. Also, special apps such as LBA (Lee & Park, 2020) and EFP (Fouz-González, 2020) were preferred (Figure 6). ...
... In some studies, it is planned for students to use tech tools on their own. For example, in Chen and Hsu (2020), the game app was used to help each learner improve his or her vocabulary. In Ma (2020), technology is used both as a direct way to teach and as a way for students to work together. ...
As technology advances, the teaching-learning process becomes more robust. In addition to technological possibilities and opportunities, the functions that academics give to technology have an impact on its effective application in the field of education. In this study, it is intended to investigate technologically based studies in the field of English language instruction. The study evaluated research articles published in the journals "Language Learning & Technology" "The Journal of the European Association for Computer Assisted Language Learning" and "Computer Assisted Language Learning" in 2020 and 2021 and indexed by the Web of social science. The articles were thematically analyzed. Examined were the study's objective, methods and approaches, technological instruments, and data collection tools. The primary factor is how technology is utilized in the study. Particularly in language education, the role of technology in teaching English as a second language has been investigated. Technology helps EFL students learn. This study will try to conceptualize technology's role. Technology is supposed to develop writing and language abilities first. Quantitative research predominated, followed by mixed-methods. Most research sampled college students. The study mostly used learner-centered and task-based instruction. Language-learning websites are chosen. Second-tier mobile apps. Technological tools are employed directly as teaching tools individually or in groups, but their use as a communication tool between students and teachers and as a tool for student cooperation is highlighted.
... The use of educational video games can potentially be associated with an increase in knowledge in various didactic subjects and the academic performance of players [37]. For example, current studies show that these video games have increased knowledge in natural Future Internet 2022, 14, 329 3 of 12 sciences [38], nutrition [39], engineering [40], first aid techniques (Alonso-Fernandez et al. 2019), second language acquisition [41], programming [42], economics and entrepreneurship [43], and mathematical concepts [44]. Moreover, these products can improve players' skills. ...
... Future Internet 2022, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 example, current studies show that these video games have increased knowledge in ural sciences [38], nutrition [39], engineering [40], first aid techniques (Alonso-Ferna et al. 2019), second language acquisition [41], programming [42], economics and entr neurship [43], and mathematical concepts [44]. Moreover, these products can imp players' skills. ...
... We found that playing the game can enhance the knowledge of users regarding didactic materials on natural sciences, the acquisition of second languages, economics and business entrepreneurship, and mathematical concepts, as has already been examined in previous studies in relation to other games focused on education [37,41,43,44,47]. Playing this video game can also contribute to reading comprehension [47] and help change behaviour in relation to climate change [49]. ...
The growth and impact of video games in education at an international level is a reality. Research shows that gamers can increase their knowledge, skills, and behavioural flexibility. However, there has been no in-depth research into the relationship between current video games and the key competences for lifelong learning set out by the European Commission. This research focuses on learning acquisition through playing the popular game “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”. The Communicative Methodology has been used in this research through, on the one hand, use of the Social Impact in Social Media (SISM) method involving the analysis of 1000 comments posted on the social network Twitter and, on the other hand, through communicative inter, sanviews with five gamers and a family member of a user. The results show that the Animal Crossing video game promotes learning achievements regarding literacy, multilingualism, mathematical skills, digital competence, social skills, citizenship, entrepreneurship, and cultural awareness.
... A growing number of empirical studies examining the effect of ASR technology on L2/FL learning have been conducted in the past decade with the majority of them dedicated to research on L2/FL pronunciation (McCrocklin, 2016;Evers and Chen, 2020), some dedicated to improving oral grammatical skills and complexity (Penning de Vries et al., 2020;Jiang et al., 2021), while far less to vocabulary learning (Bashori et al., 2021), despite the paramount role of productive vocabulary learning in L2/FL learning (Schmitt, 2010;Li and Hafner, 2021). Previous research has also lent some support to the effects of iCALL technologies on vocabulary knowledge (e.g., Chen and Hsu, 2019;Soyoof et al., 2022), thus making the present attempt to integrate ASR technology into vocabulary learning in an L2/FL classroom deserve attention. Moreover, most of the studies were carried out in conventional L2/FL settings, where the use of the ASRbased technology might not be to the fullest due to the limited in-class time or less-structured pre-class self-learning (Jiang et al., 2020). ...
... In most cases, L2/FL learners may need to seek alternative resources to learn words independently out of class (Teng, 2020). Luckily, technological advancements have induced such learning opportunities with iCALL approaches, such as captioned videos (Teng, 2019(Teng, , 2022, mobile games (Chen and Hsu, 2019;Abdulrahman and Jullian, 2020;Rahman and Angraeni, 2020) and virtual reality tools (Madini and Alshaikhi, 2017;. Results have attested to the positive effects of technologies on learners' vocabulary knowledge, especially productive vocabulary learning, and their self-efficacy in vocabulary learning (e.g., Li and Hafner, 2021;Soleimani et al., 2022), which could pave the way for integrating ASR into vocabulary learning. ...
... Generally, the results of this study confirmed the positive effects of integrating the ASR-based application on EFL students' learning, corroborating previous findings (e.g., Evers and Chen, 2020;Dai and Wu, 2021;Jiang et al., 2021). The findings also supported earlier empirical claims that iCALL technologies could provide opportunities for effective vocabulary learning (Chen and Hsu, 2019;Li and Hafner, 2021). It is well-acknowledged that learner preparedness in a flipped classroom plays a pivotal role in students' engagement and task performance in class (Sun and Xie, 2020). ...
Although the automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology is increasingly used for commercial purposes, its impact on language learning has not been extensively studied. The present work examined the effects of leveraging ASR technology to support English vocabulary learning in a tertiary flipped setting. A control group and an experimental group of college students participated in this 14-week study. Both groups had their English classes in a flipped fashion, but the experimental group was assigned ASR-assisted oral tasks for pre-class self-learning. The pre- and post-intervention in-class task performance of both groups was audio-recorded and transcribed for data analysis. The triadic complexity-accuracy-fluency (CAF) framework was adopted to evaluate the participants’ vocabulary learning. The between- and within-subjects effects were examined mainly through procedures of MANCOVA and mixed-design repeated measures ANCOVA. Results showed that on all the metrics of lexical complexity and speed fluency, the experimental group outperformed the control group, and had significant growth over time. On the other hand, the control group only improved significantly overtime on the G-index. On lexical accuracy, there was no significant difference between the two groups, and the within-subjects effect was not significant for either group. The findings lent some support to Skehan’s Trade-off Hypothesis and discussions were conducted regarding the triarchic CAF framework.
... Digital games have become the media of choice for young people as they are engrossed in game play for hours a week (Sykes, 2018). As students are investing a great deal of their time in playing digital games, a sizeable number of researchers have seized this opportunity to investigate the potentials of digital games for learning (e.g., Chen & Hsu, 2020;Jensen, 2017;Reynolds, 2017;Sundqvist, 2019). A cursory look at the literature finds that researchers are focusing their investigations on a number of different fields and content areas, including literacy (Gee, 2007(Gee, , 2009), history (Barab & Squire, 2004), biology (Clark et al., 2009), foreign language (Cornillie et al., 2012), among others. ...
... According to the literature (Chen & Hsu, 2020;Zhonggen, 2018), serious games are fruitful for both language learning and content knowledge due to their affordances in offering an interactive, motivational context and multimodal learning. These affordances can help students to obtain the necessary skills to address both their language learning and content knowledge needs. ...
... These affordances can help students to obtain the necessary skills to address both their language learning and content knowledge needs. While previous studies (Chen & Hsu, 2020;Johnson, 2007;Zhonggen, 2018) show that serious games can play a facilitative role in promoting content knowledge and can serve language learning purposes, this area of research is still in its infancy particularly with regard to essential content knowledge such as healthcare or emergency survival skills. To this end, this study examines the role of a serious game in teaching English and healthcare knowledge to Iranian nursing students. ...
While the study of serious games has received due attention, few studies have investigated their potentials of simultaneously offering a route to both content and language acquisition. Understanding the interdisciplinary educational affordance of serious game play is significant, as it might provide game designers and teachers with insight into how to best design and implement serious games. In our study, the serious game Saving Lives was used to teach healthcare knowledge and English vocabulary to Iranian nursing students in an experimental group (N = 80), while control group students were taught healthcare knowledge and English vocabulary using traditional methods (N = 80). Using a mixed-methods approach (pre- and post-tests, an open- and closed-ended questionnaire), intentional content learning, incidental vocabulary acquisition, and learners’ perceptions of digital game play were investigated. Results showed statistically significant improvement in participants’ healthcare knowledge and incidental vocabulary acquisition in the experimental group compared to the control group. Vocabulary and content knowledge gains in the experimental group were the result of students’ positive attitudes toward game play, the multimodal contextual clues provided during game play, and repetitive exposure to target words in the game instructions. Using serious games to integrate content and language teaching for specific purposes, such as nursing, was found to be both a viable option for teachers and a preferable medium for fostering students’ learning and engagement.
Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.2021242 .
... In the context of education, game-based learning (GBL) involves the integration of video games into the learning process where it strengthens the learning acquisition process among students [22,23,17]. When an instructor decides to incorporate GBL into the learning process, selection of games must be handled with care as it must be tailored to the learning objectives and suitable as a pedagogical tool to learn the contents delivered [22,17]. ...
... In the context of education, game-based learning (GBL) involves the integration of video games into the learning process where it strengthens the learning acquisition process among students [22,23,17]. When an instructor decides to incorporate GBL into the learning process, selection of games must be handled with care as it must be tailored to the learning objectives and suitable as a pedagogical tool to learn the contents delivered [22,17]. In terms of language learning, GBL is a part of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) where it involves users to learn through playing games on computer or any related devices [24]. ...
... From the results, it can be seen that the experimental group has shown great improvement in the vocabulary test administered after experiencing The Sims 4. Given the findings in the paired-sample ttest conducted, it can thus be inferred that using The Sims 4 as GBL is effective. Potentially, the contents in the game delivered are authentic [22,17] to the business context and the language use is relevant [22,23,17] to the major that the undergraduates are currently pursuing in the mentioned HEI. To ensure the survival of the business in the game, there is a constant application of knowledge from the undergraduates. ...
... This is also verified by the number of articles published on this topic [6], [7]. The use of computer gaming in education involves a wide range of areas such as medical [8], military [9], language [10], and engineering [11]. ...
... Digital games are originally categorized as commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) games that encompass games for entertainment and serious games for educational purposes [10]. While both are used in a learning context, the latter is more appropriate to deliver content knowledge [10]. ...
... Digital games are originally categorized as commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) games that encompass games for entertainment and serious games for educational purposes [10]. While both are used in a learning context, the latter is more appropriate to deliver content knowledge [10]. Learning pag. ...
Having proficiency in the standard aviation phraseology specified by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is of great importance for prospective pilots in communication with air traffic controllers and other pilots. The ambiguity in the standard phraseology could be a disaster for the flight crews. That’s why; serious thought has been given at the policy of improving the precise communication in aviation. However, it remains unclear whether the serious game-based flight simulations can enhance the vocabulary intake of the learners who invest the majority of their time in studying the standard aviation phraseology. There is also a dearth of research pertaining to the association between serious gaming and aviation phraseology. The advancement of the technology has exponentially expanded the digital games and therefore began to be widely used in education. The current study thus sets out to investigate the effect of a serious simulation game X-Plane 11 offering invaluable learning experience on aviation vocabulary acquisition. This investigation takes the form of a quasi-experimental mixed-method research by retrieving convenience sampling (15 subjects in experimental group, 15 subjects in control group). The findings indicated that there had been strong evidence of the positive effects of serious gaming on the learners’ outcome. Following the integration of the serious game, a significant increase with the medium effect size in the experimental group was recorded. This finding was also echoed by the majority of the interviewees who unanimously emphasized that the game was beneficial and motivating for language learning despite the minority challenges triggered by the level of language, hardware, and software types.
... In answer to research question one, analysis revealed that researchers have adopted two approaches to the application of digital simulation games in learner-based CALL research. In the most frequent approach, in more than half the studies a game was utilized as a stand-alone tool as the focus of an experimental project (Anderson, Reynolds, Yeh, & Huang, 2008;Bakar & Nosratirad, 2013;Calvo-Ferrer, 2017;Chen & Hsu, 2020;deHaan, 2005a;Franciosi, 2017;Franciosi et al., 2016;Ibrahim, 2018;Lin, 2015;Yang & Zapata-Rivera, 2010). In an alternative approach, it was found that in a minority of studies a simulation game was employed as part of a conventional classroom-based language course or used in combination with supplementary materials and debriefing designed to enhance learning (Hitosugi et al., 2014;Miller & Hegelheimer, 2006;Neville, Shelton, & McInnis, 2009;Ranalli, 2008;Wang, 2019). ...
... Research was concentrated in North America with seven studies conducted in the United States (deHaan, 2005a;Hitosugi et al., 2014;Ibrahim, 2018;Miller & Hegelheimer, 2006;Neville et al., 2009;Ranalli, 2008;Yang & Zapata-Rivera, 2010). Studies were also conducted in Taiwan (Anderson et al., 2008;Chen & Hsu, 2020;Lin, 2015), Japan (Franciosi, 2017;Franciosi et al., 2016;Wang, 2019), Malaysia (Bakar & Nosratirad, 2013) and Spain (Calvo-Ferrer, 2017). The majority of projects reported in research were conducted in computer labs with only a minority of projects implemented in classroom contexts (Hitosugi et al., 2014;Miller & Hegelheimer, 2006;Neville et al., 2009;Ranalli, 2008;Wang, 2019). ...
... The findings of this review show that the number of participants reported in research ranged from one learner (deHaan, 2005a) to a maximum of 162 (Franciosi et al., 2016). It was found that six of the studies involved statistically significant sample sizes (Anderson et al., 2008;Calvo-Ferrer, 2017;Chen & Hsu, 2020;Franciosi, 2017;Franciosi et al., 2016;Lin, 2015). Analysis reveals that in five of the studies, the researchers did not explicitly specify the level of foreign language proficiency possessed by the participants. ...
This paper reviews the literature on the use of digital simulation games in computer-assisted language learning (CALL). The discussion explores research approaches, contexts, methodologies, findings, trends and issues in peer-reviewed research that has investigated the use of this type of digital game over the period 2005 to 2020. Results showed that in a majority of studies, a simulation game was implemented in an experimental project. In terms of research context, most studies were carried out in universities in North America and EFL students were the most common participants. Most studies involved the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. The majority of studies investigated vocabulary learning and data indicates that playing this type of game may enhance L2 vocabulary knowledge and retention. In addition, positive findings relating to affective factors are reported across the majority of projects. Analysis reveals that research is focused primarily on the above areas and that other aspects of learning remain under researched. It was also found that studies are subject to significant limitations. As findings from the current body of research are not conclusive, more work appears needed in order to clarify if simulation games represent an effective means to enhance learning outcomes. The discussion concludes by identifying areas of interest for investigation in future research and practice.
Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1954954 .
... Several studies have pointed out the effectiveness of serious games and how they facilitate both content and L2 learning. Serious games are typically designed for education and training purposes (Johnson et al., 2005) and are claimed to increase learning motivation and learning performance, and have the potential to facilitate subject content learning (Chen & Hsu, 2020). In Chen and Hsu's study (2020), they sought to examine if university students acquire both content and vocabulary knowledge at the same time by using an interactive serious game (Playing History). ...
... According to prior and current L2 research, we know that games have the potential to be used in various learning contexts with different student populations (Sykes & Reinhardt, 2012;Reinhardt & Sykes, 2014). Particularly in dual-learning environments, game-mediated activities that might promote dual learning contain either explicit and/or implicit opportunities for both content and language learning (e.g., Chen & Hsu, 2020;Dourda et al., 2014;Soyoof et al., 2022). Explicit opportunities for dual learning can be achieved by solving problems that are directly tied to the content area and/or language learning, such as using equations to solve physics problems or matching definitions to the target vocabulary. ...
Content-based instruction, task-based language teaching, and game-mediated learning are three pedagogical approaches that are perceived as effective in second and foreign language education. These approaches share common ground in a sociocultural and functional view of language learning and popularity as engaging classroom strategies in elementary, middle, and high school (K-12) contexts. However, challenges may exist in ensuring content and language dual learning goals, designing language learning tasks, or implementing game-mediated activities. Therefore, this study seeks to describe the conceptual and methodological alignment among these approaches by reviewing recent research. Moreover, a game-mediated dual learning model is proposed to pinpoint a series of design components for language educators to consider when they integrate the aforementioned three approaches.
... One of these positive effects is related to improvements in vocabulary performance, which is promoted through GBL interventions that incorporate challenging, interesting, interactive, authentic, and exciting game competition and gamified assessment mechanisms through serious games [25]. The repetitive exposure to words in serious games also has a positive influence on incremental vocabulary acquisition [26]. Chiu et al. [27] also showed that meaningful and engaging games provide learners with more language learning opportunities than drills and practice games. ...
... Another positive effect of GBL interventions that integrate serious games into language teaching and learning is their impact on engagement and motivation because serious games involve enjoyable and formative properties, which are attractive and motivating for both teachers and students [26]. Tlili et al. [28] pointed out that the attractiveness of serious games contributes to engaging students in the learning process while performing activities that improve their communicative language skills. ...
Game-based learning (GBL) places high demand on educational resources and has been widely practiced in classrooms in many developed countries; however, few studies on GBL and its influencing factors have been conducted in developing countries. To address this research gap, a mixed-methods study was conducted in a state high school in the Amazon region of Colombia with 64 tenth-graders who were learning English as a foreign language to identify the factors that affect learners’ learning outcomes when serious games are applied to vocabulary learning, with a specific focus on learning engagement. This study drew on both quantitative and qualitative data collected from surveys, interviews, and pre- and post-tests. The results showed that engagement and prior knowledge can positively predict GBL outcomes, while contextual factors and family condition had an adverse impact on GBL outcomes (Adjusted R2 = 0.635, p < 0.01). The results also indicated that a male student with a higher level of prior knowledge would be more likely to achieve good grades in GBL. Based on the study results, several implications are proposed for incorporating serious games for vocabulary learning in less-developed regions. This study results provide important practical implications for high schools in developing countries to implementing GBL.
... Thus, DGBELL focuses on vocabulary as one of the competencies. A number of 12 studies conducted to identify the effects of digital games in improving the English vocabulary acquisition (Chen & Hsu, 2019;Chandra & Kepirianto, 2021;Sagubay-Lozarito & Segumpan, 2022;Padar, 2022;Vásquez & Ovalle, 2019;Pahamzah et al., 2020;Tan et al., 2019;Guaqueta & Castro-Garces, 2018;Vélez-Agosto & Rivas-Vélez, 2018;Hazar, 2020). Based on the study by Vásquez and Ovalle (2019), an evaluation of the findings acquired from the vocabulary assessment, learners' and educators' records revealed that following the intervention of a digital game on English vocabulary, the learners could acquire a considerable amount of vocabulary. ...
... According to the findings of Hao and Lee (2019), high-quality aesthetics within the production of digital games are sufficient to fulfil entertaining effects, interesting characters and narratives, rewards, badges, and quests. This is strengthened by Chen and Hsu (2019) asserted that many learners commented that they appreciated and were attracted to the beautiful characters and the interesting storylines. ...
... El alumnado tiene que enfrentarse al doble reto de decodificar el contenido y además intentar entender el videojuego y sus reglas. Esto puede provocar que el jugador interactúe con menos contenido que sus compañeros en el mismo tiempo de juego y que se sienta frustrado (Chen, & Hsu, 2020;Ibrahim, 2017;Johnson et al., 2020). Por esta razón, como sugieren Chen y Hsu, (2020), los do- ...
... Como han destacado Chen et al. (2018) y Chen y Hsu (2020) es necesario tener en cuenta los estilos de aprendizaje del alumnado y las adaptaciones específicas del estudiantado para el diseño de situaciones de aprendizaje con esta metodología. Esto mejoraría los efectos en el desarrollo de cuestiones clave como la adquisición de vocabulario, fluidez y comprensión lectora (Chen, & Hsu, 2020;Chen et al., 2021;Franciosi, 2017;Usai et al., 2017). Comprender el significado de las palabras a través del aprendizaje basado en juegos permitiría a los estudiantes comprender y adquirir conocimiento, les ayudaría a transferirlo, y a mejorar la interacción y motivación. ...
Los juegos digitales ofrecen una plataforma prometedora para involucrar al alumnado en la práctica de un segundo idioma. Recientemente, académicos de renombre han hecho aportaciones en sus investigaciones sobre los beneficios del aprendizaje basado en juegos: De ahí que en esta investigación se trata de encontrar hallazgos empíricos que nos den luz sobre la efectividad de los juegos en el aprendizaje de una segunda lengua. Para ello, se ha realizado una revisión sistemática de literatura de artículos científicos indexados en Web of Science y Scopus atendiendo a diversos criterios de inclusión / exclusión. En total, se ha contado con una muestra de diez artículos científicos que cumplen todos los criterios de inclusión / exclusión, y que han servido para dar respuesta a las preguntas de investigación planteadas. Tras un minucioso análisis, se han resaltado evidencias sobre las implicaciones pedagógicas del digital game-based learning en el aprendizaje de una segunda lengua y los efectos en el desarrollo de habilidades y/o aspectos lingüísticos. De los resultados se extrae que es importante que los docentes seleccionen el juego, de acuerdo con el tipo de competencias que se quiere trabajar, para que el aprendizaje sea significativo y motivante. Para ello, es necesario que el profesorado promueva oportunidades de interacción entre compañeros, que favorezcan la práctica de una segunda lengua, y que ofrezca ayuda adicional al alumnado que nunca ha jugado al juego seleccionado para el aprendizaje de una segunda lengua.
... Studies have mostly focused on the supplementary role of digital games to formal vocabulary instruction [29], although language acquisition research has ignored by and large 'any possible role that digital gaming may play in the incidental acquisition of vocabulary' [30]. Educationally, DGBVL has been found to enhance learner motivation and engagement as well as to promote higher interaction and autonomy [29,31,32]. ...
... The regression model for the incidental condition showed that the factor 'times a target item is seen' was a predictor of vocabulary learning gains in the post-test, which supports claims that contextualized, incidental exposure to new words leads to vocabulary learning [62,63] that 'repetitive exposure [ . . . ] to words also has a positive influence on incremental vocabulary acquisition in gaming' [31]. As Kitajima [64] indicates, encountering unknown words in meaningful contexts, and recognizing the relationships between such unknown words and such contexts, supply information that may assist in the learning of those words. ...
Vocabulary learning has been traditionally considered central to second language learning. It may take place either intentionally, by means of deliberate attempts to commit factual information to memory, or incidentally, as a consequence of other cognitive processes involving comprehension. Video games, which have been extensively employed in educational contexts to understand lexical development in foreign languages, foster both exposure to and the production of authentic and meaning-focused vocabulary. An empirical study was conducted to explore the effect of playing an online multiplayer social deduction game (i.e., a game in which players attempt to uncover each other’s hidden role) on incidental and intentional second language (L2) vocabulary learning. Secondary school pre-intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students (n = 54) took a vocabulary pre-test that identified eight unknown words likely to appear in the video game Among Us. Then, students were randomly assigned to different groups of players and to different learning conditions—within each group, half of the players were given a list of phrases containing such target words, which they were encouraged to meaningfully use in the game by means of written interaction. In doing so, students learnt some target words intentionally and provided contextualized incidental exposure to other players. They took a vocabulary test after two sessions of practice with the game to explore intentional and incidental L2 vocabulary learning gains. The pre- and post-tests suggested, among other results, that players using new L2 words in the game Among Us would retain more vocabulary than players only encountering them, that vocabulary intentionally input helped other users trigger incidental vocabulary learning, and that repetition had a positive effect on L2 vocabulary learning.
... In addition to promoting second language vocabulary acquisition, digital games are useful for increasing second language reading comprehension and game players experience higher levels of motivation, engagement, and are more often involved in active participation during class (Di Zou & Haoran, 2021). Chen and Hsu (2020) observed that digital games offer high intrinsic motivation for learners, encourage positive learning attitudes, have rich textual inputs that require learners to engage in meaningful language use to complete in-game activities and tasks, and the interactive and immersive experiences that games supply can reduce learning anxiety, which increases interaction in the target language. Digital games can be an effective pedagogical tool to supplement instruction and increase student engagement. ...
This eBook was written and compiled by participants in EDUC5103 (Winter 2023 and Spring 2023) at Cape Breton University, Nova Scotia, Canada, to support fellow teachers in their efforts to effectively leverage technology for in-person, online, and blended teaching. The chapters in this eBook provide evidence-based strategies for using technology to enhance instructional design for teaching and learning.
Access the full Open-Access eBook at https://pressbooks.pub/idandtech3/
... Some studies using comparisons of experimental and control groups showed positive effects of games on students' learning mathematics, particularly mathematics fluency in grade 1-4 (Fraga-Varela, Vila, & Martínez, 2021), algebra in high school (Umbara, Munir, Susilana, & Puadi, 2021); electrical circuit in elementary science (Noh, Mohamed, & Zin, 2021), light and sound in 5 th grade science (Toprak, Akcay, & Kapici, 2021), and at a college level, foreign language vocabulary and history learning (Chen & Hsu, 2019), and concepts of object-oriented programming (Abbasi Kazi, Kazi, Khowaja, & Baloch, 2021). Along with studies showing positive effects of serious games on learning different domains at different levels, there are studies showing negative effects of them on learning. ...
Etik Not: Araştırma ve yayın etiğine uyulmuştur. Bu çalışma tarama makalesi olduğundan etik onay süreci işletilmemiştir.
... According to Jabbar and Felicia (2015), game-based learning offers interactive and immersive experiences through its game attributes, including motivational elements (e.g., progress, outcomes and rules), interactive elements (e.g., role-play, resources and conflicts), fun elements (e.g., challenges, fantasy, story/narration and characters) and multimedia elements (e.g., graphics and animation). The existing literature has offered evidence showing the positive effects of game-based learning on language learning (e.g., Chen & Hsu, 2020;Soyoof et al., 2021). For example, Chen and Hsu (2020) adopted a serious game called Slave Trade to improve EFL college students' vocabulary. ...
... They achieved positive student responses and improvement in knowledge and motivation. Chen and Hsu (2020) found that commercial off-the-shelf games positively affect aspects of language learning. Saving Lives serious game was used to teach Iranian nursing students healthcare knowledge and English vocabulary . ...
Social network analysis involves delicate and sophisticated mathematical concepts which are abstract and challenging to acquire by traditional methods. Many studies show that female students perform poorly in computer science-related courses compared to male students. To address these issues, this research investigates the impact of employing a web-based interactive programming tool, Jupyter notebooks, on supporting deeper conceptual understanding and, therefore, better attainment levels of the course learning outcomes in a female setting. The work also highlights the overall experience and enjoyment this tool brought to the classroom. Document analysis and questionnaire were used as data collection methods. A mixed approach was applied, mid-term exam documents were investigated qualitatively, and the questionnaire was analyzed quantitatively. Our results showed that most students correctly perceived the learning outcomes and knowledge introduced within the Jupyter environment. Moreover, the interactive nature of Jupyter enhanced engagement and brought enjoyment to the learning experience.
... One of the major trends in English vocabulary acquisition studies focuses on the effect of digital games on vocabulary acquisition (H. J. H. Chen & Hsu, 2020). This study, aiming to determine their effect on English vocabulary learning, is therefore meaningful and necessary. ...
The past several years have been witnessing the fast development of information and communication technology, with which an increasing number of serious games are being designed and developed. Randomly selected participants were divided into the treatment and control cohorts. Two experiments, as well as a semi-structured interview, were administered to both cohorts. It was concluded that: (1) Learning outcomes in gamified English vocabulary learning are significantly better than in non-gamified English vocabulary learning; (2) The motivation in gamified English vocabulary learning is significantly stronger than in non-gamified English vocabulary learning; (3) The satisfaction in gamified English vocabulary learning is significantly higher than in non-gamified English vocabulary learning. Future research could include various serious games with interdisciplinary cooperation to testify the effect of gamification on English vocabulary learning.
... The last type of vocabulary learning approach refers to digital simulation games (Calvo-Ferrer, 2017;Chen & Hsu, 2020;Peterson, 2021;Wang, 2019). It teaches L2 vocabulary in virtual settings and tasks that simulate real-world situations and activities. ...
There is a growing trend of utilizing mobile technology to develop effective contextual vocabulary learning methods based on the situated learning theory (SLT). In spite of substantial research on mobile-assisted vocabulary learning (MAVL), there have been few reviews of MAVL approaches, let alone evaluations of them based on the idea of SLT. To address this research gap, this study evaluated three types of MAVL approaches: (1) mobile message services, (2) vocabulary learning applications, and (3) digital simulation games according to the authenticity principle and characteristics of SLT. The evaluative review included in-depth examinations of two aspects: the extent to which these characteristics are manifested in each approach, and the way in which these characteristics are incorporated into the design of each approach. The result suggests that the MAVL approaches differ significantly, in terms of their authenticity and degree of correspondence to the SLT. This review offers practical implications for the development and improvement of MAVL approaches, as well as important suggestions for future research, all of which are believed to benefit the field of L2 vocabulary acquisition.
... For example, Dalton and Devitt (2016) used a three- dimensional virtual environment (3DVE) in GBLL as a task for Irish language learning for elementary school students. Another study in 2020 pointed out that students improved their vocabulary skills and enjoyed a positive learning experience via a serious game (Chen & Hsu, 2020). ...
In the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering learning content to students via the use of technologies has become mainstream. Among various technology-supported learning modes, game-based language learning (GBLL) has been considered an effective approach to engaging learners in joyful and interactive contexts. This study aims to provide an overview of GBLL using bibliometric mapping analysis and coding analysis. This systematic review provides a scoping overview of empirical evidence on the use and impacts of games in language learning from 1989 to 2020. Based on a set of criteria retrieved from the Web of Science, 101 articles were analyzed. The coding analysis were three aspects to identify the research issues, performance issues, and interaction issues. Moreover, in a comprehensive review of the research on GBLL, insights are provided for educators and future research. The findings differing from those of previous reviews can serve as a reference for researchers on GBLL-related studies.
... As an outcome of the trend of implementing TELL in second language teaching and learning, the use of Serious Games (SGs), defined as customized games that have been purposively designed for educational settings [9], has been incorporated. To this respect, [7] have demonstrated that SGs are effective for language learning, specifically, [10] and [11] have emphasized in the SGs outcomes in terms of vocabulary acquisition. In addition to this, [12] assert that studying games in respect to language learning leads to a deeper understanding of its effects. ...
Research studies have demonstrated that students’ sociocultural background influences their learning and engagement processes in classroom activities. Additionally, research studies have shown inconclusive effects of how Serious Games improve students’ engagement. Therefore, this article describes the results of a research study that analyzed, from a sociocultural perspective, the incorporation of the Serious Game (SG) Be (the) 1: Challenge in a classroom setting with forty-seven high school students who live in vulnerable conditions in the Amazonian region of Colombia. A revised version of the Motivation Attitude Knowledge Engagement (MAKE) survey was implemented to inquire students’ engagement with the game, including open-ending questions. Moreover, GLA from a teachers’ dashboard were collected to track students’ achievements and progress during gameplay. Data was analyzed, triangulated, and interpreted through the lenses of the Reflective Play Activity Model (RPAM) to have a better understanding of students’ interactions with the game in the classroom. The main findings reveal that (1) when students developed intrinsic play, their cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement was low, but when they developed extrinsic play, their engagement increased, and (2) GLA serve to predict students’ engagement with a SG in marginalized settings. Additionally, this study refines the RPAM by deepening how this model can occur in face-to-face settings with students who, due to their sociocultural background, do not have access to discuss, construct, exchange, and share information about game features in online environments.
... Moreover, a systematic review reported that alphabet learning is one of the frequent skills that children acquired as they engage in digital technologies (Hsin et al., 2014). Besides, digital games as engaging home digital literacy practices can promote different useful skills in students such as baby care, first-aid, history, cultural heritage, heritage environments, and vocabulary development in the second language (Beavis et al., 2021;Bellotti et al., 2012;Chen & Hsu, 2020;Gözüm & Kandır, 2021;Soyoof et al., 2022;Soyoof et al., 2023). ...
In Iran, many children spend a great deal of their time in home contexts
where they often use different digital technologies such as smartphones,
tablets, and some other digital devices. However, the way that children
use these digital technologies largely depends on their mothers whose
perceptions can shape their home digital literacy practices. While
mothers’ perceptions of their children’s home digital literacy practices
have been investigated in other contexts such as Turkey, Spain,
England, and Sweden, there is a scarcity of knowledge about the
perceptions of Iranian mothers. To bridge this gap, I conducted a
qualitative case study using demographic profiles and semi-structured
interviews to uncover Iranian mothers’ perceptions of their bilingual
children’s home digital literacy practices in English. Drawing on
thematic analysis, the findings demonstrated that while Iranian mothers
urged their children to engage in home digital literacy practices in
English, they had different motives such as migration, higher education,
decision-making, practical skills, and early formal education. The
findings of this study can offer valuable insights to the Iranian English
language teaching (ELT) stakeholders to better address the needs of
Iranian children and their parents using digital technologies in English.
... En ce qui concerne l'apprentissage des langues secondes, diverses études qualitatives et quantitatives ont eu pour objectif d'analyser les effets des jeux numériques sur l'apprentissage d'une langue seconde (Bawa, 2020;Peterson, 2009Peterson, , 2010Peterson, , 2012Purushotma, 2005;Rogers, 2014;Thorne et al., 2009) et d'analyser l'impact et la validité des jeux sérieux conçus spécialement pour apprendre de langues secondes et étrangères (Arhippainen et Alavesa, 2021;Connolly et al., 2011;Kao, 2020;Lin et al., 2020;Meyer, 2009;Ng et al., 2020;Shin et Park, 2014;Tang et Taguchi, 2019;Tanskanen et Arhippainen, 2020). D'après les résultats des recherches portant sur les jeux et l'apprentissage des langues secondes réalisées depuis la dernière décennie, les jeux peuvent avoir un effet positif sur l'acquisition du vocabulaire (Chen et Hsu, 2020;Ng et al., 2020;Rasti-Behbahani, 2021; Rasti-Behbahani et Shahbazi, 2020; Thompson et von Gillern, 2020;Tsai et Tsai, 2018); de la grammaire (Kao, 2020;Lin et al., 2020;Mishra et al., 2021) ainsi que sur l'amélioration de la production orale (Wang et Han, 2021) et la compréhension orale et écrite (Kao, 2020;Lai et al., 2012). Les jeux numériques peuvent aussi exercer une influence positive sur l'aspect émotionnel de l'apprentissage des langues étrangères (Jabbari et Eslami, 2019;Lin et al., 2020;Peterson et al., 2020;Reinders et Wattana, 2015;Taskiran, 2019); et ils constituent un environnement de pratique de la langue (Dixon et Christison, 2021;Jabbari et Eslami, 2019;McNeil, 2020;Peterson et al., 2020;Thorne et al., 2009). ...
Cette thèse présente une étude qualitative sur les affordances d'un jeu sérieux éducatif (JSÉ) pour l'apprentissage de l'anglais langue seconde (ALS) dans un contexte formel de classe. Les affordances pour l'apprentissage réfèrent aux possibilités d'action offertes par un jeu numérique pour apprendre une langue seconde aux apprenants-joueurs capables de les percevoir. L'étude des affordances des jeux numériques s'avère utile pour identifier les composantes du jeu pouvant soutenir l'apprentissage du point de vue des apprenants-joueurs, ce qui est peu documenté dans la littérature scientifique. D'ailleurs, identifier les composantes du jeu soutenant l'apprentissage s'avère utile pour (1) soutenir les décisions relatives à la conception des JSÉ afin d'optimiser leur potentiel pédagogique et (2) pour appuyer le choix du JSÉ comme outil pédagogique pour l'apprentissage dans un contexte d'éducation formelle similaire. Pourtant, peu d'études se sont penchées sur l'étude des affordances des jeux numériques pour l'apprentissage de l'ALS dans la littérature scientifique. Au meilleur de notre connaissance, aucune étude n'a ciblé l'identification des affordances dans un JSÉ conçu spécifiquement pour l'apprentissage de l'ALS. Les résultats de notre recherche s'adressent aux professionnels de la conception de jeux numériques pour l'apprentissage, aux compagnies de JSÉ, aux enseignants qui sélectionnent le matériel pédagogique pour leurs cours et à tous les professionnels de l'éducation qui conçoivent des formations et des interventions pédagogiques basées sur le jeu numérique. Les assises théoriques de notre étude relèvent de la deuxième génération de la théorie de l'activité (TA) et du concept d'affordance. Les concepts activité, médiation, et agentivité nous permettent de caractériser notre modèle d'étude étant donné que nous nous y sommes appuyés pour étudier les interactions des apprenants-joueurs avec le JSÉ en fonction de leurs intentions ou objets; pour étudier les JSÉ comme artefacts médiateurs de l'apprentissage et du divertissement; ainsi que pour tenir compte des aspects contextuels qui pourraient influencer l'activité dans le jeu des apprenants-joueurs. Afin de répondre à nos questions de recherche, nous avons collecté des données auprès des participants par plusieurs moyens dont des questionnaires, des entrevues semi-dirigées, des rapports de réflexion et des traces numériques relatives à chaque séance de jeu. Nous avons analysé l'activité dans le jeu des quatre étudiantes universitaires de premier cycle, inscrites dans un cours d'ALS et sélectionnées en fonction de leur expérience à jouer à des jeux numériques et leur niveau d'anglais. Cette analyse fut inspirée par les travaux de Reeves et al., (2017) sur les niveaux d'analyse ethnométhodologique des jeux. Dans le cadre de cette étude, l'activité dans le jeu comporte (1) les actions menées par les participantes hors du monde virtuel du jeu mais inscrites au niveau de la classe dans la salle de cours, (2) les interactions des apprenants-joueurs avec le JSÉ à l'écran et (3) la perception des participantes à l'égard du JSÉ. Ainsi, à partir de la perception des étudiants universitaires et des traces numériques de leur activité dans le jeu, nous avons identifié huit affordances perçues qui mobilisent des connaissances linguistiques, sociolinguistiques, discursives et langagières : (1) apprendre de nouveaux mots, (2) prononcer les mots en anglais, (3) percevoir la structure grammaticale, (4) communiquer des messages appropriés selon le contexte, (5) s'entraîner pour communiquer dans la vie réelle, (6) organiser des mots et phrases pour communiquer et agir, (7) s'entraîner en compréhension orale, et (8) s'entraîner en compréhension orale et écrite. Dans cette thèse, les affordances perçues réfèrent aux possibilités pour apprendre l'anglais langue seconde remarquées par les étudiants Cinq sur les huit affordances perçues constituent des affordances réelles, c'est-à-dire, des possibilités pour apprendre l'ALS remarquées et utilisées par les participantes lors de l'activité de jeu: (1) apprendre des nouveaux mots; (2) communiquer des messages appropriés selon le contexte; (3) organiser des mots et des phrases pour communiquer et agir; (4) s'entraîner en compréhension orale; et (5) s'entraîner en compréhension de l'oral et l'écrit de manière intégrée. Les affordances réelles ont été déclarées par les participantes et peuvent être identifiées sur les traces numériques. Trois affordances perçues n'ont pas été identifiées sur les traces numériques pour des raisons méthodologiques: (1) prononcer les mots en anglais, (2) percevoir la structure grammaticale, et (3) s'entraîner pour communiquer dans la vie réelle. Les affordances pour l'apprentissage de l‘ALS identifiées dans le cadre de cette thèse sont associées à des composantes du jeu spécifiques, dont quatre mécaniques du jeu principales et dix-sept objets numériques du jeu (ONJ). Il ressort de cette étude que l'expérience des participantes à jouer à des jeux numériques semble exercer une influence plus forte sur la perception d'affordances pour l'apprentissage de l'ALS que le niveau d'anglais déclaré. Les résultats de cette étude soulèvent le besoin de l'accompagnement pédagogique de la part du professeur durant et à la suite d'une activité basée sur le jeu dans un contexte formel de classe afin de focaliser l'attention des étudiants sur le contenu linguistique et d'éviter la fossilisation de vocabulaire incorrect. Par ailleurs, nous apportons une série de recommandations pour soutenir la conception de jeux numériques pour l'apprentissage des langues secondes.
... The literature review showed that the same challenges are involved in the field of technology integration in language education, what is called Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) (see Hong, 2010;Laabidi & Laabidi, 2016;Yeh & Swinehart, 2019), and the role of language teachers in dealing with these challenges is crucial. Several studies have acknowledged the positive effects of CALL on students' achievements in speaking (Xie et al., 2021), writing (Abe, 2021;Reynolds & Kao, 2021), reading comprehension (Yang & Qian, 2020), vocabulary (Chen & Hsu, 2020;Li et al., 2021), willingness to communication (Lee & Drajati, 2020), interaction (Wrigglesworth, 2020), metacognition (Shih & Huang, 2020) attitudes (Webb & Doman, 2020), and motivation (Lamb & Arisandy, 2020). Despite its advantages in language learning, teachers are not interested in utilizing CALL in language teaching, which might be due to various reasons such as individual factors, contextual factors, and CALL teacher education and professional development (See Hong, 2010;Laabidi & Laabidi, 2016;Meihami, 2021;Tafazoli, 2021a;Yeh & Swinehart, 2019). ...
Drawing on qualitative research, this study explores the Iranian EFL teachers’ technological needs and their suggestions for using computer-assisted language learning (CALL) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed the narratives produced by 66 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers for their themes through deductive and inductive thematic analysis phases using MAXQDA. The findings indicate that CALL teacher preparation programs should prioritize technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), then technological content knowledge (TCK), and finally technological knowledge (TK). Moreover, teachers stated that CALL teacher preparation programs should develop their knowledge concerning the intersections of TCK/TPK and TPK/TK. Furthermore, Iranian EFL teachers suggested that CALL can be used during the pandemic if cooperation among teachers, students, and parents will be made, technological-related infrastructures will be developed, and teacher preparation programs will develop EFL teachers’ collaboration, digital literacy, teacher autonomy, and TPK with special attention to the educational needs made by the pandemic situation. The findings have implications for teacher educators, professional development course designers and providers, and decision-makers by highlighting promising directions to devote their precious time and resources.
... Several studies have explored the role of extramural IDLE in the L2 development of students including studies on online communities (Shafirova et al., 2020;Vazquez-Calvo, 2021;Vazquez-Calvo et al., 2019), blogs (Sun et al., 2017), social media (Sockett & Toffoli, 2012), and digital games (Blume, 2020;Chen & Hsu, 2020;Sundqvist, 2019). However, the existing studies of the ED context are still rudimentary, as the process of L2 learning in the ED context has gained popularity only in the last few years and is regarded as an important area of inquiry in CALL studies within SLA studies (Reinders & White, 2016). ...
This study explored factors that have influenced Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' willingness to communicate (WTC) in an extramural digital (ED) context, an ever-increasing second language (L2) communication context. To this end, the researcher interviewed 50 Iranian secondary school language learners. Having used thematic analysis, four broad sources influencing students' L2 WTC were found, such as educational practices (K-12 instruction), interpersonal variables (familiarity with the interlocutors and supportive communities), affective variables (L2 confidence and anxiety in ED context), and social variable (intergroup climate). More importantly, these factors seem to influence each other during communication in the ED contexts. This study can broaden our understanding of how Iranian secondary students use ED contexts to improve their L2 WTC. Understanding these factors can give insight to Iranian policymakers and teachers to promote the L2 WTC of Iranian students in classroom contexts. ARTICLE HISTORY
... Current studies present that educational games could provide helpful input. Game-based learning could improve students' academic performance, especially language skills [46], and promote language fluency. An investigation showed that the English proficiency of undergraduate learners was greatly enhanced with a game-based learning approach. ...
Currently, the application of educational games is becoming a hot topic, but the application of educational games in college English learning is scarcely explored. To explore the integration of educational games into the college English teaching and learning process, this study adopted a rapid evidence evaluation review (Yu et al. 2020). Since the literature review is an important approach in qualitative sampling techniques, we have conducted a review to identify and synthesize the literature. It analyzed high-quality journal articles published internationally and nationally. We found that educational games were effective in enhancing students’ college English proficiency and learning attitudes. Meanwhile, playful experiences created by educational games could decrease cognitive loads in college English learning. This research provided some support for further implementation of educational games in the college English teaching and learning process.
... Simulation (Ali Mohsen, 2016) Serious Game (Chen & Hsu, 2020) Mobile Game (Reynolds, 2017) Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (Maior, 2016) ...
Department of Educational Technology, Tamkang University. New Taipei City, Taiwan
... Ebrahimzadeh and Alavi (2017) reported that commercial digital games can support vocabulary acquisition and enhance the retention of receptive knowledge of form-meaning recognition. Chen and Hsu (2019) found that digital games are not only effective in acquiring the receptive form-meaning knowledge of vocabulary items but also in content acquisition. Bahari (2020) reported that digital games, in general, can increase both the depth and size of the gamers' English word knowledge. ...
This study investigates the probable effect of a digital game-based vocabulary learning (DGBVL) task on the acquisition of some components of a word knowledge framework. In so doing, 124 Persian speakers (56 males and 68 females) were randomly assigned to either a control or an experimental group. The experimental group participants completed a DGBVL task for acquiring ten low-frequent inanimate object names, or lexical nouns, by playing a commercial adventure game. The control group participants practiced the same words in a fill-in-the-blank vocabulary acquisition exercise. In brief, first, all participants sat for a word-checklist and a proficiency test; next, they completed their tasks, and three weeks later, all participants sat for eight achievement tests. In the achievement test booklet, participants’ knowledge of receptive, productive, recognition, and recall dimensions and scopes of meaning, orthography, and association were evaluated. The results revealed 1) the efficiency of the DGBVL task in enhancing the acquisition of these components, 2) the precedence of productive knowledge acquisition by the experimental group participants, 3) strong associations among the components acquired through DGBVL task assistance, and 4) gains in the components that were not associated with others due to the efficiency of DGBVL.
... The session is conducted as a serious game and involves competition, which are elements usually recognized by their potential to increase motivation and engagement, as well as knowledge retention (Chen, Hwang, and Chen 2013;Sousa, Moreira and Alves 2013;Pourabdollahian, Taisch and Kerga 2012;Sousa et al. 2016). Furthermore, Chen and Hsu (2019) point out that content is better remembered (knowledge retention) if serious games are used in the learning process, especially if the game is based on a real context, and emphasize games as promoters of intrinsic motivation for players/learners. In fact, the main purpose of the training session presented in this paper is not the mapping and improvement of the specific process inherent to the game, but the learning of a graphical tool to map processes that participants can apply to their own scenarios, identifying thus improvement opportunities. ...
The number of publications on improving office and knowledge work processes is quite low compared to the vast body of published work regarding the improvement of production processes. In fact, the very definition of the office and knowledge work concept is not consensual. Besides a discussion on this concept, this paper aims to present a straightforward graphical tool to map processes of office and knowledge work, along with the inherent deployment methodology, in the form of a gamified training session. This methodology encompasses both mapping and analysis (identification of improvement opportunities). As a contribution to the validation of the developing work, one session was conducted with 18 professionals from several companies (of different areas). The trainees were asked to (i) map a specific process of office and knowledge work (based on a real scenario), (ii) identify improvement opportunities and, in order to gather concrete feedback, (iii) answer a questionnaire on their perception about the tool/methodology. In summary, one may say that the participants considered the training session as useful and that they feel able to conduct in their companies a session on mapping and improvement of processes of office and knowledge work.
The phenomenon of mobile legend is quite widespread among tertiary students,because all of this game this game is using English, unique, and everyone interested to play this game. . The purpose of this research was to investigate students' perceptions of mobile legends on vocabulary. A qualitative research method with thematic analysis was applied in this research and the subjects of this research were four students of the Universitas Muslim Nusantara Al-Washliyah. Coming to different departments namely; 2 English students with higher experience in learning English, and 2 non English students with less experience in learning English. Based on the result of interview, there were four themes found, namely; Curiosity,Interaction,Obstacle,Confidence, it is implied that all of the EFL students’ have the same level in the curiosity and confidence theme, therefore all of the EFL students’ had the different level in interaction and obstacle. It turned out that the educational background had an impact on this research.
The game-mediated second and foreign language (GML2) field investigates how games can be used in facilitating L2 teaching and learning. This review explores how researchers define and differentiate among GML2 practices. A total of 51 publications from 2010 to 2021 were analyzed, revealing that only 40% of the publications defined GML2 practices, with the majority focused on the use of educational games. A key recommendation is that scholars clearly define specific types of GML2 practices in their empirical and conceptual work to build a more coherent body of scholarship.
Picture media is one of the educational media that aims to trigger and stimulate the right brain so that the child can receive the information. This community service aims to provide information about learning models that can be used in English learning activities, which aims to make learning more interesting, attractive, creative, and fun. In addition, the purpose of implementing this community service is to train students’ skills, so that they can think critically and to be active in learning English in the class by using picture media. In this community service activity, the servant teaches by using two learning methods, namely the lectures method and the practical method. The results of this activity shows that the students seem more enthusiastic and active during the learning process. Then, their motivation and enthusiasm also arise from the studens themselves to learn English vocabulary.
IMPLEMENTING PICTURE MEDIA TO IMPROVE THE STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. After the Covid-19 pandemic, teachers and students have taken an opportunity to learn English more, especially vocabularies. Unfortunately, almost all of students were still confused and bored with their vocabulary learning; as a result that the students had low vocabularies. Additionally, teachers still used the conventional strategy to teach the vocabularies to their students, such as asking the students to memorize vocabulary in front of the class. Dealing with the issues, the writers have designed some methods, techniques, and strategies to improve the students’ vocabularies. The writers implemented picture media and asked the students to guess the picture using “What is it?”, almost all of students were enthusiastic to answer and write down the vocabulary in blackboard. The teaching-learning process has described that the students were involved in English class. On the other hand, the students also felt easier to know things in English, and the teacher also got new methods, techniques, and strategies in increasing students’ vocabulary through picture media implementation. Therefore, the teacher was suggested to implement some media to improve the students’ interest and motivation when they learn English vocabulary.
Few mobile-assisted vocabulary learning approaches fully correspond to the authenticity principle of the situated learning theory (SLT). A novel practice of changing the smartphone system language to second language (L2), which intends to better implement SLT in a real smartphone context, is the focus of this study. To explore the potential of using this under-researched approach to facilitate L2 vocabulary learning, a mixed-method design was adopted to investigate its impact on vocabulary acquisition, global language learning motivation, and vocabulary learning motivation. Participants’ pre- and post-test scores on the vocabulary knowledge test and motivation questionnaires were compared between the experimental and control groups. Interviews were also conducted to understand learners’ perceptions of this novel approach. Both quantitative and qualitative results indicated that the approach of changing smartphone system language to L2 was effective in increasing learners’ vocabulary knowledge gains and improving their global and vocabulary learning motivation. These findings contribute to the literature on L2 vocabulary learning and provide significant pedagogical implications.
The use of digital games has increased dramatically in the last two decades due to the augmentation in the number of Personal Computers (PCs) and mobile devices worldwide. Not only can digital games be played for entertainment, but also, they may have both positive and negative effects on their players. Various effects of digital games on individuals’ levels of attention span, concentration, and addiction have already been tested by numerous studies; however, their impact on incidental Second Language (L2) acquisition is still untouched by language researchers. To address this lacuna, this is a longitudinal observational study that lasted for three months to investigate the impact of digital games played by young learners for entertainment at home on their unintentional acquisition of English as an L2. The age of the participants ranged from 8 to 14 years old, and the experiment was conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. Three main games were played by the sample; namely, Free Fire, Minecraft, and Among Us. The findings revealed that digital gaming significantly influenced the vocabulary development of the participants, and gaming was a clear asset for their L2 acquisition. It was also found that the players’ level of vocabulary retention was high; however, two drawbacks were identified in this regard, namely, the prolonged screen time and vocabulary items specifically related to a given area of a particular game. Overall, this study can be an impetus for further research into evaluating the benefits or drawbacks of using digital games for specific aspects of L2 acquisition such as the development of cognitive abilities or enhanced understanding.
Many studies have shown that it is more efficient and effective to teach new words in a specific context in various activities which provide necessary comprehensible input. Considering the opportunities that technology can provide to language learners and teachers, vocabulary can be learned and taught using various tools and applications. This chapter utilizes an autoethnographic methodology to explore teaching vocabulary through online activities in which I took the role of a language teacher using websites and applications in an online class that aimed to teach basic Turkish language and culture to undergraduate students at a public university in Poland. The course aimed to introduce Basics of Turkish Language and Culture to learners willing to learn more about other
languages and culture. There were 3 5 students enrolled in the elective course offered at the Faculty of Modern Languages and Literature. The words selected from the most frequently used Turkish vocabulary were taught to the students in various interactive activities in order to promote comprehensible input. Through online activities, the students were exposed to these words as many times as they wished. I, as the lecturer of this class, designed online activities and created several interactive activities based on the selected words. During this process, I shared my views and reflections as I went through the selection of the words, preparation of the online interactive activities, the challenges I faced as well as the students’ reactions to the interactive activities.
The use of educational technologies to teach a second language (L2) in general, and L2 vocabulary in particular, has mass appeal among computer-assisted language learning (CALL) practitioners. The main objective of the present study is to report the challenges and affordances of technologies used for computer-assisted vocabulary learning (CAVL), as described in the current literature. A systematic review was conducted, and the results were visualized in a hierarchical data model. Following a rigorous screening process, 97 peer-reviewed articles published from 2014 to 2020 were selected from major-related databases. Theoretically, the findings inform researchers about the reported limitations and advantages of computer-assisted L2 vocabulary learning and serve as a road map for future research directions. Pedagogically, the findings provide L2 teachers with an instruction manual to inform their practice, allowing them to benefit from the reported affordances of CAVL and take measures to address the reported challenges.
Questionnaires have been widely used in second language (L2) research. To examine the accuracy and trustworthiness of research that uses questionnaires, it is necessary to examine the validity of questionnaires before drawing conclusions or conducting further analysis based on the data collected. To determine the validity of questionnaires that have been investigated in previous L2 research, we adopted the argument-based validation framework to conduct a systematic review. Due to the extensive nature of the extant questionnaire-based research, only the most recent literature, that is, research in 2020, was included in this review. A total of 118 questionnaire-based L2 studies published in 2020 were identified, coded, and analyzed. The findings showed that the validity of the questionnaires in the studies was not satisfactory. In terms of the validity inferences for the questionnaires, we found that (1) the evaluation inference was not supported by psychometric evidence in 41.52% of the studies; (2) the generalization inference was not supported by statistical evidence in 44.07% of the studies; and (3) the explanation inference was not supported by any evidence in 65.25% of the studies, indicating the need for more rigorous validation procedures for questionnaire development and use in future research. We provide suggestions for the validation of questionnaires.
The main aim of this study was to explore the effect of the serious mobile game Jumo the Jumper on the vocabulary acquisition of primary school English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students and their attitudes toward an EFL course. The main research design of the study was a quasi-experimental design with nonequivalent control groups that included pre-test and post-test control groups. Twenty students in the experimental group played the serious mobile game aimed at teaching English vocabulary about the “animals” unit for four weeks, while 20 students in the control group received traditional, curriculum-based tuition. Based on the analysis of the independent sample t-test, the use of the serious mobile game Jumo the Jumper in primary school classrooms had a significant effect on the vocabulary acquisition of the students compared to traditional instruction. On the other hand, the serious mobile game did not have a significant effect on the students’ attitudes toward the EFL course.
This book syntheses cutting-edge research on the role of individual differences (IDs) in the field of SLA and in computer assisted language learning. It also outlines the theoretical and methodological issues at the heart of this research, presents empirical findings and charts future directions of this research. Pawlak and Kruk provide an overview of the latest theoretical developments in research on IDs in SLA as well as methodological considerations that are crucial when researching individual variation, with special emphasis on data-collection procedures that are most prominent in CALL. The book goes on to summarize and explore a body of empirical evidence concerning the role of individual difference factors in CALL, singling out existing gaps, methodological problems and areas in need of further investigation. Finally, the authors provide a guide on how empirical investigations of individual difference factors in CALL can be improved by incorporating the latest developments from the broader field of SLA. This book will be of great interest to postgraduates and scholars in the domain of applied linguistics and second language education who are interested in CALL, as well as those studying and undertaking research in second language learning and teaching.
At a time when game-based learning has become a research hotspot, this study focused on the competition mechanism in gamified learning, aiming to explore the impact of different competition modes on students’ vocabulary learning effect and learning motivation. A group of 79 sixth grade students from China were randomly assigned to a non-competitive class, an individual competition class, and an inter-group competition class. The experiment was conducted in an English vocabulary course, and the game competition was carried out using the Quizlet Live game platform. The results indicated that: (1) the vocabulary learning effect and motivation of students in the competitive classes (individual competition and inter-group competition) were better than those in the non-competitive class; (2) the learning effect of students in the inter-group competitive class outperformed that of the individual competitive class, but there was no significant difference in learning motivation. Through the qualitative analysis of the students’ interviews, it was found that the results of inter-group competition may be related to the student’s perception of learning and emotional support. The findings of this study can provide relevant support for the subsequent game-based learning design.
In the present study, a serious game based on gamification techniques was developed to motivate the learning of mathematical topics seen in the last academic grade of Peruvian high schools. The proposed game was developed for mobile devices and uses a cloud-based web infrastructure. In addition, gamification techniques such as avatar, levels, progress indicators and rewards were used for its design. A total of 14 students participated in the experiment and qualitative data were collected through a questionnaire. The results showed that the selected gamification techniques were very effective in motivating learning, the serious game had a good user experience, and the students were satisfied with the learning experience of the game.
Lay Description
What is already known about this topic
Digital game‐based learning (DGBL) has been widely adopted in various subject areas.
DGBL is an effective learning approach for language learning.
Performance goal orientations are influential motivational factors in predicting learning performance.
Relevant empirical research on performance goal orientations in DGBL is scarce and inconclusive.
What this paper adds
A game‐based English vocabulary learning system was developed based on the considerations of different characteristics of performance goal orientations.
This study provides understandings of the impact of performance goal orientations on both learning performance and in‐game performance in DGBL.
Performance‐approach learners outperformed performance‐avoidance learners, whereas the two groups demonstrated similar gain scores and overall in‐game performance.
Performance‐avoidance learners' in‐game performance is a substantial factor in promoting their learning performance via DGBL.
Implications for practice and/or policy
Educators should consider adopting game‐based assessment to reduce the gap between learners with different performance goal orientations.
DGBL can be a potential approach to supporting different performance goal orientations, but it is particularly beneficial to learners with performance‐avoidance goals.
Learners with different performance goal orientations need different types of learning activities to achieve better performance.
A personalized DGBL system should be developed to accommodate the needs and preferences of learners with performance‐approach and performance‐avoidance goals.
The purpose of the study is to analyse the modern pedagogical context which demonstrates the possibilities of using video games to develop cognitive skills when learning a foreign language. Pedagogical theories recognize the importance of games as a method. The game context is entertaining and allows scholars and teachers to build a staged development of educational skills. The research is based on a systematic review and analysis of current use of computer games for cognitive skills development in foreign language learning. The analysis shows that video games are used to develop several related cognitive skills: vocabulary development, understanding the context to provide feedback when building a simple dialogue, accuracy in the word choice, speech strategies, and reading and writing skills development. Evidence reveals didactic ways of organizing training based on video games to positively affect the development of cognitive skills. However, results show that this impact is limited, because video games have a strict design and cannot effectively develop cognitive skills requiring a wide choice of speech means in the interactions between players. It is also unlikely that video games either stimulate the use of speech strategies in a situation of uncertainty or provide for extra linguistic factors.
The current study investigated the effects of using a 3D virtual reality (VR) game on university EFL students’ development of vocabulary and cultural knowledge. In addition, it explored how this new approach affected the students’ affective attitudes such as interest, confidence, and learning motivation. Furthermore, it examined the students’ perception and attitude toward VR game-based language learning. Over one semester, an experimental group of 25 students participated in the VR game-based language learning, while a control group of 24 students followed the regular curriculum of the university EFL course. To collect data, 1) pre- and post-tests for both vocabulary and cultural knowledge, 2) a pre- and post-questionnaire for affective attitudes, 3) an online survey for students’ perceptions and attitudes, and 4) a qualitative interview were administered. The results revealed that the VR game-based language learning group outperformed the traditional learning group in both vocabulary and cultural knowledge gains. In addition, VR game instruction was effective in increasing students’ interest, confidence, and learning motivation. Furthermore, the students reported overall positive perceptions and attitudes toward this new kind of instruction. This study suggested that VR game-based language learning is a new, effective way to promote students’ vocabulary and cultural knowledge.
Research on vocabulary acquisition in digital game-based learning has been increasing over the years, with advancements in technology giving rise to numerous learning alternatives in second language acquisition. As virtual reality gaming offers new opportunities to explore its effectiveness in language learning, it is thus important to investigate the benefits of virtual reality gaming on English vocabulary learning, as well as the potential in incorporating virtual reality to teaching practices in the classroom. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of virtual reality (VR) and personal computer (PC) gaming on language learners’ vocabulary learning, as well as their affective perception. Thirty Grade 12 high school students participated in this study and were randomly assigned to either the VR or PC group. The VR group played a Sci-fi VR visual novel game, Angels and Demigods, using the Oculus Go whereas the PC group played the same game in the PC version without the VR elements. The gaming session lasted for fifty minutes for both groups. A vocabulary translation and recognition pretest, posttest and delayed posttest were adopted to compare their performance, along with a questionnaire to probe into their perception towards their respective treatment. The results revealed that both the VR group and the PC group were able to gain vocabulary knowledge in both the translation and recognition tests. In comparison, the VR group demonstrated a significantly higher mean score than the PC group in the vocabulary translation delayed posttest. The questionnaire showed that learners in both groups enjoyed playing the visual novel game and were willing to adopt it as a tool for learning vocabulary.
The frequency of word exposure in teaching materials, along with corrective feedback, has often been identified as a powerful variable in the learning of vocabulary in a foreign language (Brown, 1993). The effect of the number of times an action is presented as accurate in digital game-based language learning scenarios, i.e. knowledge of correct response (KCR) feedback, however, remains under-investigated. This study aims to analyse the learning of L2 mobile operating system terminology by a group of students of English as a Foreign Language by using the data collected by the video game The Conference Interpreter in order to identify the predictive strength of term frequency (times a term is shown), KCR feedback (times a correct answer is provided), and corrective feedback (times a term is shown as incorrect) regarding short and long-term L2 vocabulary learning. The regression analysis performed showed that the factor ‘KCR feedback’ may be a positive predictor of short-term vocabulary learning, whereas the other factors seemed to have no statistical effect at any significant level.
The present study aims to examine the impact of Iranian EFL learners' vocabulary learning and retention through two new ways, using a serious game (i.e., Influent) or a mobile application (i.e., AnkiApp). To this end, 90 Iranian EFL learners were given a homogeneity test. They were subsequently classified into two groups. A serious game group (n=45) instructed vocabulary through the serious game, and a mobile application group (n =45) taught vocabulary by the mobile application. The participants in both groups were administered a pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest. The findings of the independent-samples t-test showed that participants of the serious game group had the edge over the mobile application group. Additionally, the results of the independent-samples t-test and repeated measures analysis indicated that participants of the serious game group remembered the effects of the treatment and that both time and group affected their performance. Moreover, the results of the paired t-tests revealed that participants of the mobile application group benefitted from their treatment, but not as significant as those of the serious game group.
Vocabulary learning is vital for second language development, and the use of technology has greatly changed how second language vocabulary can be acquired. Some adventure video games were found to be beneficial for vocabulary learning. These games offer engaging plots, rich input, and immersive learning context. Despite these advantages, many games often include difficult vocabulary items and fleeting subtitles. Researchers have suggested that games can be modified to provide a more supportive environment. The purpose of the present study aimed to examine the effect of an adventure game and the game plus L1 keyword glosses on second vocabulary acquisition. Two classes were recruited and took a pre-test, post-test, and two-week delayed post-test and filled out a survey. The results indicated that the control group (i.e. game only) has significantly improved, suggesting that the gaming context alone can assist the incidental vocabulary learning. The experimental group (i.e. game with L1 glosses in the subtitles) significantly performed better in the post-test and delayed post-test. The findings indicated that L1 glosses helped to enhance noticing and to learn new words. It was clear that adventure games have great potentials for vocabulary learning, and additional lexical supports in gaming can further enhance vocabulary learning.
Out-of-class learning with technology comprises an essential context of second language development. Understanding the nature of out-of-class language learning with technology is the initial step towards safeguarding its quality. This study examined the types of learning experiences that language learners engaged in outside the classroom and the influencing factors. Three distinct types of technological experiences, with different incentives and different emotional and behavioral manifestations, were identified based on the interview responses of 21 university foreign language learners. Structural equation modeling analysis of 439 survey responses indicated that the three types of technological experiences were influenced differently by various attitudinal and support factors. Instruction-oriented technological experiences were influenced the most by learners’ perception of the usefulness of the technological experience for language learning, and entertainment- and information-oriented technological experiences were the only technological experiences that were influenced directly by perceived ease of the technological experience for language learning. Social-oriented technological experiences were influenced by myriad factors. Furthermore, it was found that the influencing factors for these experiences varied for learners with beginning and with intermediate proficiency levels. The findings underscore the importance of adopting differentiated approaches to supporting different types of technological experiences.
Serious games are growing rapidly as a gaming industry as well as a field of academic research. There are many surveys in the field of digital serious games; however, most surveys are specific to a particular area such as education or health. So far, there has been little work done to survey digital serious games in general, which is the main goal of this paper. Hence, we discuss relevant work on serious games in different application areas including education, well-being, advertisement, cultural heritage, interpersonal communication, and health care. We also propose a taxonomy for digital serious games, and we suggest a classification of reviewed serious games applications from the literature against the defined taxonomy. Finally, the paper provides guidelines, drawn from the literature, for the design and development of successful serious games, as well as discussing research perspectives in this domain.
Drawing on ecological and dialogical perspectives on language and cognition, this exploratory case study examines how vocabulary learning occurs during a quest-play mediated in English between a Japanese undergraduate student and a native speaker of English. Understanding embodiment as coaction between the player-avatar and player–player relations (Zheng and Newgarden 2012; Zheng et al. 2012), as situative embodiment in a perceptually and narratively rich context (Barab et al. in Sci Educ 91:750–782, 2007), and as a dialogical achievement (Zheng and Newgarden 2012; Zheng et al. 2012), this research provides an alternative explanation of how players embodied in their avatars appropriated semiotic resources imbued in World of Warcraft (WOW). Two hours of co-quest play provided instances of vocabulary learning unique to the WOW environment and co-play. Through iterative multimodal analysis, vocabulary learning became salient as we analyzed both chat and avatar action data and provided a thick description and dynamic process of co-play. Using the eco-dialogical model, we display how language learning as appropriation of resources and as result of eco-dialogical embodiment. © 2015, Association for Educational Communications and Technology.
Multiuser virtual environments (MUVEs) are quickly gaining importance as tools for for-eign language instruction by promoting collaboration and social presence in a lifelike 3-D environment. One of the largest and fastest growing of these MUVEs is Linden Lab's Second Life (SL). With an international membership of over 9,000,000 residents, SL is proving to be an important tool for foreign language education. This article provides an introduction to SL and examines some of the advantages and disadvantages of its use as an instructional tool for foreign language students and educators.
Prior research has reported incidental vocabulary acquisition with complete beginners in a foreign language (FL), within 8 exposures to auditory and written FL word forms presented with a picture depicting their meaning. However, important questions remain about whether acquisition occurs with fewer exposures to FL words in a multimodal situation and whether there is a repeated exposure effect. Here we report a study where the number of exposures to FL words in an incidental learning phase varied between 2, 4, 6, and 8 exposures. Following the incidental learning phase, participants completed an explicit learning task where they learned to recognize written translation equivalents of auditory FL word forms, half of which had occurred in the incidental learning phase. The results showed that participants performed better on the words they had previously been exposed to, and that this incidental learning effect occurred from as little as 2 exposures to the multimodal stimuli. In addition, repeated exposure to the stimuli was found to have a larger impact on learning during the first few exposures and decrease thereafter, suggesting that the effects of repeated exposure on vocabulary acquisition are not necessarily constant.
This exploratory study investigates the linguistic and social interaction of four intermediate EFL learners during game play in a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG). Twelve illustrative episodes drawn from the participants’ text chat, collected in four 70-minute sessions held over a one-month period, are analyzed from a sociocultural perspective. Qualitative analysis reveals the presence of interactional features associated with the development of sociocultural competence. Throughout this study the learners successfully engaged in collaborative social interaction involving dialogue, conducted exclusively in the target language. Participants made appropriate use of politeness involving greetings, informal language, small talk, humor, and leave-takings, as a means to support the operation of collaborative interpersonal relationships. These relationships appeared based on reciprocity, friendship, and teamwork. They were effective in facilitating the creation of a low stress atmosphere characterized by social cohesion that was conducive to co-construction, and the consistent production of coherent target language output. The data indicates that the learners were able to jointly establish, and maintain, states of intersubjectivity through the use of continuers, and requests for assistance relevant to in-game tasks. Learner feedback was positive, and suggests that although the participants found the game play challenging, as this research progressed they became increasingly comfortable as their familiarity with the game increased. Aspects of participation identified by the learners as beneficial included opportunities for risk-taking, enhanced fluency practice, and exposure to vocabulary not normally encountered in regular language classes. The analysis suggests that the game provided access to an environment conducive to forms of collaborative target language use and social interaction identified as beneficial in the sociocultural account of language development.
Didactic approaches to Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) have been shown to yield limited outcomes when compared to approaches that stimulate peer discussion and debate. Creating effective interventions, which stimulate peer involvement, remains a demanding task and finding a solution that is not only engaging but also pedagogically sound is vital. A case thus exists for exploring how game technology might facilitate more feasible solutions. This paper presents the development approach of a digital game: PR:EPARe (Positive Relationships: Eliminating Coercion and Pressure in Adolescent Relationships), designed by a cross-disciplinary team of UK researchers from Coventry University's Studies in Adolescent Sexual Health (SASH) research group and the Serious Games Institute (SGI). Psychological targets for game content were identified through Intervention Mapping (IM) and the game design process was based on the Four-Dimensional Framework of Learning (4DF) emphasizing the context of deployment, learner profiling and the pedagogical perspective that influence the mode of representation of the learning content. Early efficacy testing of the game solution was validated through a cluster-randomized controlled trial in local schools (n = 505) indicated some positive outcomes in favour of the game-based approach, based on self-reported measures of psycho-social preparedness for avoiding coercion (F [3, 501] = 15.306, p < .001, View the MathML source = 0.084). Analysis of observation data suggests that blending this interactive game-based approach with traditional classroom delivery encouraged the teachers and students to engage in communal discussions and debriefing during and after game play. Together, the results demonstrated real benefits for pedagogy-driven game-based approaches to support the delivery of RSE within a classroom setting.
This article asks how good video and computer game designers manage to get new players to learn long, complex and difficult games. The short answer is that designers of good games have hit on excellent methods for getting people to learn and to enjoy learning. The longer answer is more complex. Integral to this answer are the good principles of learning built into successful games. The author discusses 13 such principles under the headings of ‘Empowered Learners’, ‘Problem Solving’ and ‘Understanding’ and concludes that the main impediment to implementing these principles in formal education is cost. This, however, is not only (or even so much) monetary cost. It is, importantly, the cost of changing minds about how and where learning is done and of changing one of our most profoundly change-resistant institutions: the school.
This study examined the rate at which vocabulary was learned from reading the 400 headword graded reader A Little Princess. To ascertain whether words of different frequency of occurrence rates were more likely to be learned and retained or forgotten, 25 words within five bands of differing frequency of occurrence (15 to 18 times to those appearing only once) were selected. The spelling of each word was changed to ensure that each test item was unknown to the 15 intermediate level (or above) female Japanese subjects. Three tests (word-form recognition, prompted meaning recognition and unprompted meaning recognition) were administered immediately after reading, after one week and after a three month delay. The results show that words can be learned incidentally but that most of the words were not learned. More frequent words were more likely to be learned and were more resistant to decay. The data suggest that, on average, the meaning of only one of the 25 items will be remembered after three months, and the meaning of none of the items that were met fewer than eight times will be remembered three months later. The data thus suggest that very little new vocabulary is retained from reading one graded reader, and that a massive amount of graded reading is needed to build new vocabulary. It is suggested that the benefits of reading a graded reader should not only be assessed by researching vocabulary gains and retention, but by looking at how graded readers help develop and enrich already known vocabulary.
We investigated how long-term retention of new words was affected by task type, number of word occurrences in the teaching materials and the combination of the two factors. The tasks were: reading a text with occasional Focus on Form when learners used dictionaries (T+F), or reading a text with Focus on Forms, i.e. word focused exercises (T+Fs). The words occurred 2—3, 4—5, and 6—7 times. Consequently, there were six conditions that reflected the 2 × 3 ‘task × occurrence’ combinations. Learners were exposed to 60 target words, 10 words in each condition during a 13-week course of study, and were subsequently tested on them by two unannounced tests: passive recall and passive recognition. An increase in word occurrence was found to have an effect on retention in T+Fs only. Starting with 4 occurrences, T+Fs fared better than T+F. Task type effect was superior to the effect of word occurrence in recall only (2 word exercises fared better than 6—7 occurrences in text). The value of word-focused practice was also confirmed by learners’ responses to an introspective questionnaire.
A number of studies have shown that second language learners acquire vocabulary through reading, but only relatively small amounts. However, most of these studies used only short texts, measured only the acquisition of meaning, and did not credit partial learning of words. This case study of a learner of French explores whether an extensive reading program can enhance lexical knowledge. The study assessed a relatively large number of words (133), and examined whether one month of extensive reading enhanced knowledge of these target words' spelling, meaning, and grammatical characteristics. The measurement procedure was a one-on-one interview that allowed a very good indication of whether learning occurred. The study also explores how vocabulary acquisition varies according to how often words are encountered in the texts. The results showed that knowledge of 65% of the target words was enhanced in some way, for a pickup rate of about 1 of every 1.5 words tested. Spelling was strongly enhanced, even from a small number of exposures. Meaning and grammatical knowledge were also enhanced, but not to the same extent. Overall, the study indicates that more vocabulary acquisition is possible from extensive reading than previous studies have suggested.
This study investigated the effects of playing violent vs non-violent video games on the interpretation of ambiguous provocation situations. The participants played either a very violent video game or a relatively non-violent video game for several minutes. Children were then read five stories in which a same-sex peer caused a clearly negative event to happen but where the peer's intent was ambiguous. After each story, children were asked a series of questions about the peer's intent, subsequent actions and potential punishment. Responses were coded in terms of amount of negative and violent content. Results indicated that children playing the violent video game responded more negatively on three of the six ambiguous provocation story questions than children playing the non-violent video game. These data suggest that playing violent video games leads to the development of a hostile attribution bias.
This article describes the development and evaluation of a computer-assisted language learning approach which integrates a finite state dialogue engine with an animated pedagogical agent. The design of the request game is theoretically motivated by interlanguage pragmatics and Long's Interaction Hypothesis. The tutoring system creates a venue in which a student can practice pragmatic routines and particular pragmatic features in simulated academic situations. The system was programmed to recognize students' written messages so that they can receive immediate and relevant feedback on their output. To test the usability of the system, a prototype of the request game has been tested with English learners in an English as a second language program in the US. The article concludes with the preliminary evaluation results of the system.
First language acquisition requires relatively little effort compared to foreign language acquisition and happens more naturally through informal learning. Informal exposure can also benefit foreign language learning, although evidence for this has been limited to speech perception and production. An important question is whether informal exposure to spoken foreign language also leads to vocabulary learning through the creation of form-meaning links. Here we tested the impact of exposure to foreign language words presented with pictures in an incidental learning phase on subsequent explicit foreign language learning. In the explicit learning phase, we asked adults to learn translation equivalents of foreign language words, some of which had appeared in the incidental learning phase. Results revealed rapid learning of the foreign language words in the incidental learning phase showing that informal exposure to multi-modal foreign language leads to foreign language vocabulary acquisition. The creation of form-meaning links during the incidental learning phase is discussed.
Educational computer games are examples of computer-assisted learning objects, representing an educational strategy of growing interest. Given the changes in the digital world over the last decades, students of the current generation expect technology to be used in advancing their learning requiring a need to change traditional passive learning methodologies to an active multisensory experimental learning methodology. The objective of this study was to compare a computer game-based learning method with a traditional learning method, regarding learning gains and knowledge retention, as means of teaching head and neck Anatomy and Physiology to Speech-Language and Hearing pathology undergraduate students.
Students were randomized to participate to one of the learning methods and the data analyst was blinded to which method of learning the students had received. Students' prior knowledge (i.e. before undergoing the learning method), short-term knowledge retention and long-term knowledge retention (i.e. six months after undergoing the learning method) were assessed with a multiple choice questionnaire. Students' performance was compared considering the three moments of assessment for both for the mean total score and for separated mean scores for Anatomy questions and for Physiology questions.
Students that received the game-based method performed better in the pos-test assessment only when considering the Anatomy questions section. Students that received the traditional lecture performed better in both post-test and long-term post-test when considering the Anatomy and Physiology questions.
The game-based learning method is comparable to the traditional learning method in general and in short-term gains, while the traditional lecture still seems to be more effective to improve students' short and long-term knowledge retention.
This article investigates contemporary research on the use of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) in language education. The development and key features of these games are explored. This is followed by an examination of the theories proposed as a basis for game-based learning, and the claims made regarding the value of utilizing network-based gaming in computer assisted language learning (CALL). A critical analysis of three influential learner-based studies drawn from the literature is then undertaken. This reveals that present research is largely exploratory in nature and is subject to limitations. The analysis draws attention to the role played by learner training and indicates that for intermediate and advanced level English language learners, MMORPGs offer a motivating context that elicits engagement in beneficial forms of target language interaction. Research further suggests that learner participation in network-based gaming provides valuable opportunities for vocabulary acquisition and the development of communicative competence. This article concludes by highlighting the urgent need for additional studies and identifies areas with potential in future research.
Research has been investigating the role of reading, as one source of input, in language
learners' vocabulary development. The present study was designed to examine whether
intermediate learners incidentally (a) acquire and (b) retain unknown vocabulary as a result of
reading. The study further assessed (c) the effect of the text variable of exposure frequency.
Learners were exposed to unfamiliar words either two, four, or six times during reading.
Vocabulary acquisition and retention measured productive and receptive knowledge gain.
Results indicated that only two encounters with unfamiliar words during reading significantly
affected learners' vocabulary growth. Moreover, two or four exposure frequencies resulted
in fairly similar word gain, but six exposures produced significantly more vocabulary knowledge.
Retention measures showed mixed results: On productive vocabulary knowledge only half of the
subjects displayed a significant rate of retention. On receptive knowledge all but one
experimental group retained vocabulary over 4 weeks.
Modern computer games show potential not just for engaging and entertaining users, but also in promoting learning. Game designers employ a range of techniques to promote long-term user engagement and motivation. These techniques are increasingly being employed in so-called serious games, games that have non- entertainment purposes such as education or training. Although such games share the goal of AIED of promoting deep learner engagement with subject matter, the techniques employed are very different. Can AIED technologies complement and enhance serious game design techniques, or does good serious game design render AIED techniques superfluous? This paper explores these questions in the context of the Tactical Language Training System (TLTS), a program that supports rapid acquisition of foreign language and cultural skills. The TLTS combines game design principles and game development tools with learner modelling, pedagogical agents, and pedagogical dramas. Learners carry out missions in a simulated game world, interacting with non-player characters. A virtual aide assists the learners if they run into difficulties, and gives performance feedback in the context of preparatory exercises. Artificial intelligence plays a key role in controlling the behaviour of the non-player characters in the game; intelligent tutoring provides supplementary scaffolding.
The Tactical Language and Culture Training System (TLCTS) helps learners acquire basic communicative skills in foreign languages and cultures. Learners acquire communication skills through a combination of interactive lessons and serious games. Artificial intelligence plays multiple roles in this learning environment: to process the learner's speech, to interpret and evaluate learner actions, to control the response of non-player characters, to generate hints, and to assess the trainee's mastery of the skills. AI is also used in the authoring process to assist in the generation and validation of lesson content. This article gives an overview of the system, and describes the experience to date in transitioning the system from research prototype into a training system that is in regular use by tens of thousands of users in the United States and elsewhere. Experimental results from field studies are presented, relating learning outcomes, motivational effects, and the role of game-based learning and intelligent tutoring in achieving the learning outcomes.
Good computer and video games like System Shock 2, Deus Ex, Pikmin, Rise of Nations, Neverwinter Nights, and Xenosaga: Episode 1 are learning machines. They get themselves learned and learned well, so that they get played long and hard by a great many people. This is how they and their designers survive and perpetuate themselves. If a game cannot be learned and even mastered at a certain level, it won't get played by enough people, and the company that makes it will go broke. Good learning in games is a capitalist-driven Darwinian process of selection of the fittest. Of course, game designers could have solved their learning problems by making games shorter and easier, by dumbing them down, so to speak. But most gamers don't want short and easy games. Thus, designers face and largely solve an intriguing educational dilemma, one also faced by schools and workplaces: how to get people, often young people, to learn and master something that is long and challenging--and enjoy it, to boot.
Despite their motivational appeal to learners, innovative and technologically advanced computer simulation games targeting native English speakers frequently remain beyond the competence of ESL learners as independent didactic tools. Guided by Chapelle’s (2001) criteria for determining CALL task appropriateness, this paper illustrates how the popular authentic simulation, The SIMs, can be adapted to enhance vocabulary learning through supporting materials. Adult ESL learners completed a five-week unit, experiencing different conditions of supplemental materials while completing tasks using The SIMs. The participants received mandatory supplemental materials in one condition, voluntary access to supplemental materials in the second, and no supplemental materials in the third. The results indicate a statistically significant increase in vocabulary acquisition for the first condition. Student feedback suggests the supplemental materials were beneficial for successful task completion. Thus, how authentic computer simulation tasks are structured and supported appears to have a considerable bearing on the appropriateness of the task.
Video games are potential sources of second language input; however, the medium’s fundamental characteristic, interactivity, has not been thoroughly examined in terms of its effect on learning outcomes. This experimental study investigated to what degree, if at all, video game interactivity would help or hinder the noticing and recall of second language vocabulary. Eighty randomly-selected Japanese university undergraduates were paired based on similar English language and game proficiencies. One subject played an English-language music video game for 20 minutes while the paired subject watched the game simultaneously on another monitor. Following gameplay, a vocabulary recall test, a cognitive load measure, an experience questionnaire, and a two-week delayed vocabulary recall test were administered. Results were analyzed using paired samples t-tests and various analyses of variance. Both the players and the watchers of the video game recalled vocabulary from the game, but the players recalled significantly less vocabulary than the watchers. This seems to be a result of the extraneous cognitive load induced by the interactivity of the game; the players perceived the game and its language to be significantly more difficult than the watchers did. Players also reported difficulty simultaneously attending to gameplay and vocabulary. Both players and watchers forgot significant amounts of vocabulary over the course of the study. We relate these findings to theories and studies of vocabulary acquisition and video game-based language learning, and then suggest implications for language teaching and learning with interactive multimedia.
The paper makes an attempt to stimulate theoretical thinking and empirical research in the domain of L2 vocabulary learning by introducing a construct of involvement with motivational and cognitive dimensions: Need, Search, and Evaluation. Retention of hitherto unfamiliar words is claimed to be conditional upon the amount of involvement while processing these words. Involvement is operationalised by tasks designed to vary in the degree of need, search, and evaluation. The paper reviews a number of constructs that are currently debated and investigated in the literature on cognitive and motivational aspects of L2 learning. It also re-examines the existing empirical literature on task effect in the light of the proposed construct of task-induced involvement, stresses the need for deepening and broadening the construct, and discusses possibilities it offers for research on vocabulary learning.
As often as language teachers lecture about the importance of continual practice to adolescent learners, the dullness of homework exercises designed primarily to be educational has difficulty competing with popular media designed solely to be entertaining. Recently, numerous attempts have been made to develop "edutainment" titles that seek to merge educational goals with entertainment content; oftentimes, however, they fail to achieve either goal and fall instead into niche markets. Rather than seeing entertainment-focused media forms as adversarial to educational content, educators should instead embrace them. This commentary examines how content originally designed for entertainment purposes can be modified to provide natural and context rich language learning environments, without sacrificing its entertainment value. First, I examine a modification to the number one selling video game The Simsthat intelligently combines game data from the English edition with data from editions of other languages to form a bilingual gaming environment. This exposes learners to abundant L2 vocabulary, yet still provides enough L1 support not to detract from the game. This principle is then extended to other applications such as music videos, typing tutors, and voice-navigated games. Finally, areas of otherwise wasted time are identified, such as waiting for Web pages to load or walking to class, with suggestions of how technology can facilitate language learning during these times.
This paper describes a narrative-based design framework that organizes three narrative elements (i.e., storyline, character, and quest) to support a contextual game-based environment for language learning. Using this design framework, a PlanetAdventure system was developed to examine its feasibility and its effects on student language learning. A case study with 61 college students who used the game-based system to learn English vocabulary words was conducted. The findings revealed that their learning achievement was enhanced after using the system. The majority of the students favored the game-based learning experience. Based on these data and behavior logs, the students can be sorted into three clusters with different learning patterns. The findings and implications of developing contextual game-based learning environments are also discussed. © International Forum of Educational Technology & Society (IFETS).
Educational research has long emphasized the connection between play, games, and learning. Piaget (1961) classified games into three types: games that involve physical exercise, symbolic games where the player uses their imagination, and games where the play is governed by the operation of rules. For Piaget, the particular form of play that occurs in rule-bound games is associated with the socialization that facilitates human learning. From this perspective, play is primarily associated with children and is first undertaken purely for pleasure. However, when the child begins to participate in more organized rule-governed forms of play that require adult-like socialization, cognitive development may be facilitated. The emergence and spread of video games in the 1980s led researchers to speculate that features of computer games could facilitate learning. In an example of this early work, the computer game studies theorist Crawford (1984) proposed that computer games encompass four key qualities: representation (meaning that games encompass a closed system that presents a subset of reality), interaction (the effects caused by gameplay), conflict, and safety. This researcher argued that these elements combine in a computer game to elicit a highly engaging form of play and that a major motivation of participation in computer gaming is to learn. This period further witnessed the initiation of research that examined from the perspective of cognitive science, the possible linkages between participation in computer gaming and human learning.
According to different authors, computer games not only teach contents and skills, but also do so in a more efficient manner, allowing long-lasting learning. However, there is still little consensus on this matter as different studies put their educational benefits into question, especially when used without instructional support. An empirical study was conducted to measure the effect of the educational game The Conference Interpreter on L2 vocabulary acquisition and perceived learning gains, as compared with a non-gaming tool which replicated its contents. The results of pre-, post- and delayed tests showed that students that had access to the contents via the video game performed statistically better in the short run, found the materials more appealing and believed their vocabulary skills had developed further than those in the control group. However, the regression model showed that the actual enjoyment of the game seemed to have no effect on the students' learning outcomes, neither according to their own estimation nor as determined by testing. Of greater importance seemed to be extrinsic motivation, ie, their desire to play based upon expected learning gains, prior knowledge of tested L2 vocabulary and perceived difficulty of the educational contents.
Research results over the past decades have consistently demonstrated that a key reason why many second language learners fail--while some learners do better with less effort--lies in various learner attributes such as personality traits, motivation, or language aptitude. In psychology, these attributes have traditionally been called "individual differences." The scope of individual learner differences is broad--ranging from creativity to learner styles and anxiety--yet there is no current, comprehensive, and unified volume that provides an overview of the considerable amount of research conducted on various language learner differences, until now.
Continuing interest in digital games indicated that it would be useful to update Connolly et al.'s (2012) systematic literature review of empirical evidence about the positive impacts and outcomes of games. Since a large number of papers was identified in the period from 2009 to 2014, the current review focused on 143 papers that provided higher quality evidence about the positive outcomes of games. Connolly et al.'s multidimensional analysis of games and their outcomes provided a useful framework for organising the varied research in this area. The most frequently occurring outcome reported for games for learning was knowledge acquisition, while entertainment games addressed a broader range of affective, behaviour change, perceptual and cognitive and physiological outcomes. Games for learning were found across varied topics with STEM subjects and health the most popular. Future research on digital games would benefit from a systematic programme of experimental work, examining in detail which game features are most effective in promoting engagement and supporting learning.
School children appear to increase their vocabularies by thousands of words per year. Many have hypothesized that a large proportion of this growth occurs through incidental learning from written context. However, experimental research has until now failed to provide unequivocal support of this hypothesis. The present study attempted to determine whether students do acquire measurable knowledge about unfamiliar words while reading natural text. Fifty-seven eighth-grade students of average and above average reading ability read either an expository or a narrative text about 1,000 words in length. After reading, subjects completed two vocabulary assessment tasks on 15 target words from each passage (thus serving as controls for the passage not read), an individual interview and a multiple-choice test, both designed to tap partial knowledge of word meanings. Results of within-subject, hierarchical regression analyses showed small but statistically reliable gains in word knowledge from context. Tentative extrapolations from the results and current estimates of the volume of children's reading lead us to believe that incidental learning from context accounts for a substantial proportion of the vocabulary growth that occurs during the school years. /// [French] Les écoliers semblent augmenter leur vocabulaire de milliers de mots par an. Nombreux sont ceux qui ont pour hypothèse qu'une large proportion de cette croissance intervient grâce à une acquisition accidentelle à partir d'un contexte écrit. Cependant, la recherche expérimentale n'a pas pu jusqu'à présent fournir un soutient univoque à cette hypothèse. L'étude présente essaie de déterminer si les élèves acquièrent en fait des connaissances mesurables sur les mots qui ne leur sont pas familiers au cours de la lecture de textes naturels. Cinquantesept élèves de quatrième à compétence de lecture moyenne et au-dessus de la moyenne ont lu un texte d'exposition ou de narration d'environ 1000 mots. Après la lecture, les sujets ont complété deux tâches d'évaluation de vocabulaire sur 15 mots cibles à partir de chaque passage (servant ainsi de contrôles pour le passage non lu), un entretien individuel et un test à choix multipes, désignés à aborder la connaissance partielle des significations de mots. Les résultats des analyses de régression hiérarchique de sujet unique ont montré des gains moindres mais statistiquement sûrs en connaissance de mots à partir d'un contexte. Des extrapolations d'essai à partir des résultats et des calculs courants du volume de lecture chez les enfants nous ont menés à croire que la lecture accidentelle à partir d'un contexte compte pour une proportion substantielle de la croissance du vocabulaire qui a lieu au cours des années scolaires. /// [Spanish] Al parecer, alumnos incrementan su vocabulario con miles de palabras cada año. Muchos han avanzado la hipótesis que una gran proporción de este incremento ocurre por medio de aprendizaje incidental del contexto escrito. No obstante, investigación experimental no ha provisto evidencia irrefutable para esta hipótesis. Este estudio trató de determinar si los alumnos adquieren conocimiento medible de palabras desconocidas durante la lectura de textos normales. Cincuenta y siete alumnos de octavo grado, de habilidad normal y superior en lectura, leyeron un texto descriptivo o narrativo, de approximadamente 1000 palabras. Después de la lectura, los alumnos completaron 2 actividades de evaluación de vocabulario sobre 15 palabras específicas de cada pasaje (sirviendo así como control de los pasajes no leídos), una entrevista individual y un test de elección múltiple, ambos diseñados para descubrir conocimiento parcial de significado de palabras. Los resultados por individuo, utilizando análisis de jerarquía de regresión, mostraron pequeño pero estadísticamente fiable progreso en el conocimiento de palabras por medio de contexto. Extrapolaciones tentativas de los resultados y cálculos presentes del volumen de lectura de alumnos, nos llevan a deducir que aprendizaje incidental del contexto da cuenta de una proporción considerable del incremento de vocabulario que ocurre durante los años escolares.
What are the affordances of online gaming environments for second language learning and socialization? To answer this question, this qualitative study examines two college-age Spanish learners’ experiences participating in the Spanish language version of the massively multi-player online game World of Warcraft. Using data culled from participant observation, interviews, logs of in-game chat, and student journal entries, we describe how the design of the game, cultural norms for its use, and participants’ own abilities interact to afford distinct opportunities for language learning for these two students. Discussion focuses on how online games might be used for language teaching and learning in ways that take full advantage of the medium's affordances for both experienced and inexperienced players.
Several researchers have highlighted the potential of applying adventure video games in second language acquisition; however, few studies have investigated the impact of adventure games on foreign language learning. This study aimed to examine the effects of a commercial adventure video game on foreign language learning and learners’ perceptions toward this game. Twenty-two college students in Taiwan were asked to play an English adventure game BONE. One group was allowed to take notes while playing and the other group was not. After playing, both groups were asked to take a vocabulary post-test. The results indicated that both groups picked up some new words after playing the adventure game, but there was no significant difference between the two groups’ post-gaming performances. To better understand the strengths and weaknesses of using adventure games for foreign language learning, another study was conducted to explore 35 college students’ perceptions toward this adventure game. The results showed that students considered the game helpful in improving their language skills and motivation. Students also reported they enjoyed playing the game because of the intriguing game design. The findings in this study suggest that adventure video games such as BONE can provide useful input to help college students enhance their English listening, reading, vocabulary skills and learning motivation.
This article reports on an explorative case study which, in the first place, aimed to ascertain different types of foreign language play in online role-playing in Second Life, and which, secondly aimed to describe how various sources of contextual support can explain this foreign language play. Students’ written conversation was analyzed and further discussed in six vignettes based on a revised framework of form-based, semantic, and pragmatic play. This study discovered that students' collaborative and competitive role-playing creates and transforms languages and activities, such as puzzle solving, verbal dueling, word games, and ritual performances. As a pedagogic device, online role-playing games appear to facilitate foreign language play through appropriate use of environmental resources, virtual characters, hybrid codes, and collaborative activities.
This case study tests a mathematical model for its ability to predict second language vocabulary gains achieved through reading. To overcome the problem of small word gains noted in earlier studies of incidental acquisition, the participant (an adult learner of Dutch) read a lengthy text and was tested on hundreds of words. To maximize opportunities for learning from context, an illustrated text (a 'Lucky Luke' comic book) was chosen for the reading treatment. Before reading the text and again after each of eight readings, the participant used a rating scale to assess his knowledge of words that occurred only once in the text. Growth rates established in one round of learning (a matrix) were used to predict growth in subsequent rounds. The participant's gains were found to match closely figures generated by the predictive matrix. As in previous studies, nouns proved to be the easiest to learn. Results also detail the need for multiple encounters in order for a word to be retained.
Although positive effects of children playing video games have been found, recent research suggests that exposure to violent video games may lead to an increase in aggressive behavior. This study investigated the effects of playing violent versus nonviolent video games on the interpretation of ambiguous provocation situations. Participants were 52 third- and fourth-grade children. Children played with either a very violent video game, "Mortal Kombat II," or a relatively nonviolent video game, "NBA Jam: TE," for 13 minutes. Following the video game play, children were read five stories in which a same-sex peer caused a clearly negative event to happen but the intent of the peer causing this negative event was ambiguous. After each story, children were asked a series of questions about the peer's intent, subsequent actions, and whether the peer should be punished and how much. Responses were coded in terms of amount of negative and violent content. Results indicated that children playing the violent video game responded more negatively on three of the six ambiguous provocation story questions than children playing the nonviolent video game. These data suggest that playing violent video games leads to the development of a short-term hostile attribution bias. (Author/HTH)
With their realistic animation, complex scenarios and impressive interactivity, computer simulation games might be able to provide context-rich, cognitively engaging virtual environments for language learning. However, simulation games designed for L2 learners are in short supply. As an alternative, could games designed for the mass-market be enhanced with support materials to allow students to enter and make use of them for learning? This classroom-based investigation looked into whether the best selling game The SIMs™ could be rendered pedagogically beneficial to university-level ESL learners by means of supplementary materials designed to meet criteria for CALL task appropriateness. The mixed-methods study found statistically significant improvements in vocabulary knowledge, as well as a generally positive reaction to the modifications among users.
This article is based on a PhD thesis that investigates how electronic glossing can support active vocabulary learning in English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Electronic glossing is generally acknowledged as contributing to vocabulary learning. Electronic glosses have been investigated in recent years in the areas of incidental vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension. Despite a considerable number of studies showing the positive effects of electronic glosses on reading comprehension and vocabulary learning, only a few studies have attempted to look into learner attitudes toward this means of vocabulary learning and how electronic glosses support vocabulary acquisition.The aim of this paper is to investigate three questions: When do learners use electronic glosses? How do they use electronic glosses? What attitudes do learners have towards electronic glossing as a means of vocabulary learning? The motivation of the study was the need to design materials for a course in EAP for students of economics. To provide students with appropriate input custom-made exercises were created. These consisted of authentic texts that were annotated with ready-made electronic glosses and included an accompanying reading task. A longitudinal qualitative study with upper-intermediate and advanced learners (levels B2 and C1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) in an authentic EAP class was conducted with electronically glossed reading tasks. The study reported here took place in an authentic EAP classroom over a period of four consecutive academic terms. The main research instruments were screen observations during class periods, Likert scale questionnaires and semi-structured interviews on the basis of the questionnaires, conducted after the end of each term.The main result of this study is that electronic glosses are acknowledged as useful and appropriate by learners. Learners are particularly motivated to use the glosses if the words are perceived as relevant to their future careers. When authentic texts are combined with accompanying tasks, glossing enables active vocabulary learning.
Addressforcorrespondence:Mr.YuLiangChen,Departmentof ComputerScience,NationalChiaoTungUniversity,1001 University Road, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan. Email: imklchen@gmail.com; Dr. Eric Zhi Feng Liu, GraduateInstitute of Learning & Instruction, National Central University, no. 300 Jung-da Road, Chung-Li City, Taoyuan320, Taiwan. Email: totem@cc.ncu.edu.tw
Video games have become increasingly more popular and more technologically advanced. This one-month study used interview, observation, self-report, and reading and listening test data to demonstrate and investigate how one intermediate Japanese-as-a-foreign-language (JFL) student improved his listening comprehension and kanji character recognition by playing a Japanese baseball video game. It is suggested that language acquisition was facilitated by the subject's ability to control the video game's repetitive, highly contextualized, and simultaneously presented aural and textual language. Limitations of the study and implications for the foreign language teacher are briefly discussed.