scholarly journals Affect and willingness to communicate in digital game-based learning

ReCALL ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayo Reinders ◽  
Sorada Wattana
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Digital Game ◽  
Game Based Learning ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
Barriers To Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching

AbstractThe possible benefits of digital games for language learning and teaching have received increasing interest in recent years. Games are said, amongst others, to be motivating, to lower affective barriers in learning, and to encourage foreign or second language (L2) interaction. But how do learners actually experience the use of games? What impact does gameplay have on students’ perceptions of themselves as learners, and how does this affect their learning practice? These questions are important as they are likely to influence the success of digital game-based language learning, and as a result the way teachers might integrate games into the curriculum. In this study we investigated the experiences of five students who had participated in a fifteen-week game-based learning program at a university in Thailand. We conducted six interviews with each of them (for a total of 30 interviews) to identify what impact gameplay had in particular on their willingness to communicate in English (MacIntyre, Dörnyei, Clément & Noels, 1998). The results showed that gameplay had a number of benefits for the participants in this study, in particular in terms of lowering their affective barriers to learning and increasing their willingness to communicate. We discuss the implications of these results in terms of further research and classroom practice.

scholarly journals Why Digital Games Can Be Advantageous in Vocabulary Learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Amin Rasti-Behbahani
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Vocabulary Acquisition ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Digital Game ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Why Questions

Vocabulary learning is an integral part of language learning; however, it is difficult. Although there are many techniques proposed for vocabulary learning and teaching, researchers still strive to find effective methods. Recently, digital games have shown potentials in enhancing vocabulary acquisition. A majority of studies in digital game-based vocabulary learning (DGBVL) literature investigate the effectiveness of DGBVL tasks. In other words, there are enough answers to what questions in DGBVL literature whereas why questions are rarely answered. Finding such answers help us learn more about the structure of the DGBVL tasks and their effects on vocabulary learning. Hence, to achieve this aim, the available literature on digital games and vocabulary learning were systematically reviewed from 1996 to 2020. The results revealed seven themes such as motivation, authenticity, repetition, instantiation, dual encoding, interactivity, and feedback. Based on the available literature, these themes are factors, in digital games, that can contribute to enhancing vocabulary acquisition.

scholarly journals A Case Study on English as a Second Language Speakers for Sustainable MOOC Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismail Duru ◽  
Ayse Saliha Sunar ◽  
Su White ◽  
Banu Diri ◽  
Gulustan Dogan
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
International Student ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Barriers To Learning ◽  
Language Abilities ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
Second Language Speakers

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have a great potential for sustainable education. Millions of learners annually enrol on MOOCs designed to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse and international student population. Participants’ backgrounds vary by factors including age, education, location, and first language. MOOC authors address consequent needs by ensuring courses are well-organised. Learning is structured into discrete steps, prioritising clear communication; video components incorporate subtitles. Variability in participants’ language abilities inevitably create barriers to learning, a problem most extreme for those studying in a language which is not their first. This paper investigates how to identify ESL participants and how best to predict factors associated with their course completion. This study proposes a novel method for automatically categorising (English as Primary and Official Language; English as Official but not Primary Language; and English as a second Language groups) 25,598 participants studying FutureLearn “Understanding Language: Learning and Teaching” MOOC using natural language processing. We compared algorithms’ performance when extracting discernible features in participants’ engagement. Engagement in discussions at the end of the first week is one of the strongest predictive features, while overall, learner behaviours in the first two weeks were identified as the most strongly predictive feature.

Emergent Digital Discourses: What Can We Learn From Hashtags and Digital Games to Expand Learners’ Second Language Repertoire?

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 128-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie M. Sykes
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Future Research ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Work Related

AbstractIn recent years, digital technologies have expanded the possibilities for human interactions in ways that were never before imagined, further complicating the teaching and learning of languages (Taguchi & Sykes, 2013; Thorne, Sauro, & Smith, 2015). Despite this complexity, when approached as meaningful, high-stakes practices, discourses in digital contexts can be highly useful for language learning and teaching. This article synthesizes work related to two digital discourse contexts, specifically hashtags and digital games. Moving away from technology as the vehicle to deliver “important content,” the analysis to follow examines digital discourses as both the content and context to be examined as part of learners’ multilingual experiences. The article begins by situating the discussion focused on digital discourses, reviewing relevant work addressing interactional patterns in each context, and then applying findings to second language teaching and learning. Drawing on empirical work, the article then describes a framework with specific examples for learner exploration of digital discourses as part of their language learning experience. The article concludes with implications for future research and teaching.

scholarly journals Review of Directed motivational currents and language education: Exploring implications for pedagogy; Author: Christine Muir; Publisher: Multilingual Matters, 2020; ISBN: 978-1-78892-884-7; Pages: 252

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 807-811
Author(s):  
Mirosław Pawlak
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Learning Frameworks

The construct of a directed motivational current (DMC), or “. . . a surge of motivational energy that seemingly picks an individual up and carries them sometimes unimaginable distances” (p. xvi) was introduced into research on motivation in second and foreign language (L2) learning less than a decade ago (e.g., Dörnyei, Ibrahim, & Muir, 2015; Muir & Dörnyei, 2013). Despite being a relative newcomer to the field, the concept has provided an impulse for empirical investigations which have primarily focused on validating its core assumptions and proposed dimensions using largely qualitative methodology (e.g., Safdari & Maftoon, 2007; Zarrinabadi & Tavakoli, 2017). The book Directed Motivational Currents in Language Education: Implications for Pedagogy by Christine Muir is another valuable addition to this line of inquiry and it can be seen in a way as a follow-up to and extension of the monograph Motivational Currents in Language Learning: Frameworks for Focused Interventions that she co-authored with Zoltán Dörnyei and Alastair Henry in 2016. Since I had the opportunity to write a review of this volume for Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching (Pawlak, 2017), I was all the more curious to see how research on DMCs has progressed and what promise it currently holds for L2 pedagogy. Therefore, the moment the publisher contacted me with the suggestion that SSLLT might be a good venue for a review, I immediately jumped on the offer and simply felt compelled to take on this task myself. I have to say from the get-go that the book has lived up to my expectations and, although I might be somewhat skeptical about some of the implications for classroom practice, I have to admit that Christine Muir’s work represents a so-much-needed step forward in the study of DMCs. This certainly cannot too often be said about all the apparently innovative ideas introduced into the domain of second language acquisition research.

scholarly journals Student-Teachers’ Perceptions of Second Language Teaching in the CBL Program: Identity Construction and Development

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Fen Yeh
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
School Students ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Learning And Teaching

In recent times, researchers of second language learning have suggested that second language learning is not simply a cognitive or linguistic issue, but is also a social, political, and cultural one (e.g., Atkinson, 2002; Firth & Wagner, 1997; Larsen-Freeman, 2007). Research on student-teachers’ identity (e.g., Atkinson, 2004; Day & Kington, 2008; Wenger, 1998) also stresses the importance of identity development to help students with setting goals and learning (e.g., Olsen, 2008). Therefore, this qualitative research aimed to investigate STs’ identity development and how identity transfers knowledge to facilitate the learning and teaching processes. This study applied a two-semester community-based learning program involving 40 university students and 50 elementary school students in Taiwan. It was found that negotiating multiple discourses in diverse social contexts is another dimension of learning sources for student-teachers’ understanding of personal values, increasing the awareness of social responsibilities, and fashioning their personal and pedagogical identities. 

A comparative framework for culturally differentiated digital game-based learning

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 138-149
Author(s):  
Jae Park ◽  
Run Wen
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Comparative Education ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Reverse Direction ◽  
Digital Game ◽  
Game Based Learning ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore culture as the unit of analysis in comparative education in the context of technology-mediated learning known as digital game-based learning (DGBL). Design/methodology/approach – Two digital games for Chinese language learning were purposefully designed and produced following existing studies in cross-cultural psychology, learning theories and second language acquisition. To corroborate the assumption that culture affects user’s preference of DGBL learning interface, the two newly developed instructional tools were evaluated with eastern and western learners to find out their perceptions and choices through direct observation, pre-/post-assessments and a group interview. Findings – The evaluation indicates the validity of the key assumptions in the theoretical framework: eastern learners were fond of the type of digital game that involves social cues and situational factors, whereas, western learners preferred a simple design and goal-oriented learning game in which they had the power of control. Originality/value – This paper suggests a theoretical and technical framework to design, and produce culturally sensitive DGBL learning tools. Extant studies on the relationship between culture and DGBL are usually on how digital games generate unique learning experiences and culture. Looking at the same phenomenon but in a reverse direction, this study reports on how learners’ culture determines their preferences in DGBL.

scholarly journals Digital Game-based Learning as an Innovation to Enhance Student’s Achievement for Arabic Language Classroom

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 2108-2112
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Digital Game ◽  
Game Based Learning ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Good Learning ◽  
And Control

Various studies have investigated the potential of employing digital games in education to help students’ increase their learning achievement and their academic performance. Over the years, scholar have recognised how games could become a good learning tool that can improve learner’s performance and sustain their engagement in teaching and learning activities. Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore whether mobile digital games, as a cybergogical tool, can be used to support Arabic language teaching and learning. This study is a quasi-experiment designed to determine the effectiveness of mobile digital games in supporting the learning of Arabic. This study 70 students who are taking the elementary Arabic language course in Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), Malaysia. The participants were selected through random purposive sampling. The students were divided into two groups; experimental group and control group. After the intervention of mobile digital game, the achievement scores of both groups were collected practically. The data collected were analysed using inferential quantitative analysis by using the IBM SPSS Statistics 24 software. This study reported that the adoption of mobile digital games significantly increases students’ achievement in Arabic language learning.

Using Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) materials in English as Second Language (ESL) classrooms: perspectives of teachers and students in United Arab Emirates

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramia DIRAR SHEHADEH MUSMAR
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
Student Diversity ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching

Integrating scaffolding-learning technologies has been recognized for its potential to create intellectual and engaging classroom interactions. In the United Arab Emirates, having language teachers employ computers as a medium of new pedagogical instrument for teaching second languages generated the idea of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) as a medium of an innovative pedagogical instrument for facilitating and scaffolding language learning, with an aspiration that it will lead to improved English language attainment and better assessment results. This study aims at investigating the perspectives of students and teachers on the advantageous and disadvantageous impacts of CALL on learning and teaching English as a second language in one public school in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The results show that CALL has a facilitating role in L2 classroom and that using CALL activities is advantageous in reducing English learning tension, boosting motivation, catering for student diversity, promoting self-directed language learning and scaffolding while learning English. The results additionally report that numerous aspects like time constraints, teachers’ unsatisfactory computer skills, insufficient computer facilities, and inflexible school courses undesirably affect the implementation of CALL in English classrooms. It is recommended that further studies should be undertaken to investigate the actual effect of CALL on students’ language proficiency. 

Gamification in English as Second Language Learning in Secondary Education Aged Between 11-18

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Search Strategy ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
English Learning ◽  
Game Based Learning ◽  
English As Second Language

Since gamification has strengthened its place in education over the years, it is frequently preferred in English as a Second Language Learning. This study aims to investigate the literature on the effects of gamification on students’ English learning as a second language and the tendency of students to use games to learn English as a second language. This review contains a systematic review of published articles about gamification in English as a Second Language Learning for learners aged between 11-18 from 2013 to 2020. The study was designed according to the specifications of the PRISMA 2009 Checklist. A combination of words related to gamification, game-based learning, English as a Second Language, and secondary school was included as a search strategy. After selection, ten research articles written in English were reviewed. Their results indicated that the games enhance the fun, raise students’ motivation, and boost their participation while helping their autonomous learning. This review includes suggestions to support planning game-based English lessons.

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