Learning a second language conveys different factors that can affect the way learners learn, for instance gender, age, culture or even motivation can be significant at the time of learning a foreign language. A recent study by Baohua and Watkins (2008) states that motivation is a key aspect when acquiring a second language, because it determines the involvement of students in the learning process. Videogames can be one of the sources that can trigger that motivation in students as they provide a meaningful and useful source encouraging and challenging the students in the four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) of learning a language.
Thus, it is not only motivation that videogames are helpful for, but also the fact that they provide other benefits such as creativity, stimulation or fun. They also help to set goals and provide a student-centred lesson as well as foster communication and participation.
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An analysis of the role of videogames at the time of second language acquisition will be conducted in order to determine whether the use of such games can have significant and beneficial educational impacts in learners of a second language or not as well as the usefulness in the development of reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. To conclude that videogames can be an interesting supplementary material that can be added to the coursework to facility the understanding of the second language.
A recent study conducted by Eisenchlas, Schalley & Moyes (2016) states that videogames not only increased their competences in the L2 but also the fact while playing videogames they can also learn about the different cultures and countries. For this reason the analysis will be dealing with two videogames related with Virtual Worlds (VWs). This analysis will consider two main questions: a) Do computer simulation games make learning a second language more interesting? b) Are they effective in the development of the skills for second language acquisition.?. In order to review these studies the objectives and procedures as well as the date found in them will be summarised as well as the results in order to understand the effectiveness of the use of videogames in L2.
To begin with, it is important to introduce some important facts of the games chosen in the two studies. The games analysed are World of Warcraft (WoW) and the Sims. Both of them resemble VWs, nevertheless, WoW is an online game while The Sims does not include online playing. According to the creators website Blizzard ('Blizzard Entertainment', 2019), World of Warcraft is a massively played multiplayer online game (MMOGs) released by Blizzard Entertainment. Besides, WoW was the world's most popular MMORPG by player count of nearly 10 million in 2009. The game had a total of over a hundred million registered accounts by 2014 ('Blizzard Entertainment', 2019) . Players can create and control a character avatar within a game world in third- or first-person view, exploring the landscape, fighting various monsters, completing quests, and interacting with non-player characters (NPCs) or other players online. The SIMs is a series of life simulation video games developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts firstly released in 2000 (Arts, 2019) . The franchise has sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide, and it is one of the best-selling video games series of all time. It is computer simulation game that allows players to create a virtual family and life, where they have to face challenges of everyday living (Croal, 2003).
To continue with, in order to proceed to the analysis of these two studies about computer simulation games it is important to highlight the methodology used in both researches. Both of them consider learners of a second language. The first study examines participants that are learning Spanish as L2 while using Spanish version of the online game WoW while the second one examines participants that are learning English while using a modified version of the original game of the SIMs. Participants in both investigations come from different backgrounds and with different levels of the language they are being tested from lower levels to advanced levels of the L2, there are male and female learners as well as all of them being enrolled in a higher education. Almost all the participants in both studies were familiar with the computer games used in the studies.
Having said that this analysis indicates that there is in fact multiple benefits for learners of a foreign language. On one hand, the study of the Sims suggests that learners had a favourable attitude towards the game because it enhanced their motivation to learn more about the second language. Participants were more eager to play as it was a different way to approach language learning. Most of the participants also agreed that the game encouraged them to learn about other backgrounds for instance one of them said that they enjoyed learning about American lifestyle (Ranalli, 2008). Another benefit found in this study is that learners were able to learn the language in context. According to a participant playing The Sims, it had helped him to see which context the word was used and then put into practise in his own time (Ranalli, 2008).
In the other hand, there were also many disagreements regarding the use of such a game for learning a language. For example, many participants agreed that they were too focused to play the game that they forgot to check the vocabulary or some culture aspects that appeared in the game (Ranalli, 2008). They also objected about the repetition of the game, many of them claimed that they got bored after a certain amount of time because they had to repeat the same action several times. This did not encourage them to learn more about the language being used in the game. (Ranalli, 2008)
Regarding the second analysis of the game WoW the data collected suggests that participants experimented with the language they were able to explore the different vocabulary used for the users and see the vocabulary provided in the game in context. Furthermore, the analysis also implied that while playing these type of simulation games participants were more confident to use the target language and they were less focused in their mistakes. They were less afraid of taking risks while they were chatting with other native speaker gamers. According to a participant (Silvania*) states that she is more likely to go on the game and speak in Spanish because she feels less pressured to speak in the second language (Rama, Black, Van Es & Warschauer, 2012). This suggests that simulation games such as WoW are safe environments for learners of a second language as they feel relaxed which helped them to use the language more comfortably. What it is more, games like WoW promote collaboration between less and more experience gamers and language users. Emilio*’s participation is an excellent example of this concern. Emilio’s communicative competence has improved due to his ability of developing strategies that allowed him to maintain a normal conversation pattern as well as the interaction with other Spanish gamers that were looking for him to ask for some advice or to play some daily tasks (Rama, Black, Van Es & Warschauer, 2012)
Yet, some nuisances were found in WoW. For instance, freedom was one of the concerns considered by the study. This issue was one of the major drawbacks mentioned in the analysis of the game because the language that learners are exposed to cannot be controlled and therefore their uses cannot be anticipated. (Rama, Black, Van Es & Warschauer, 2012)
Last but not least, it is important to highlight that both studies suggested that for videogames to be a successful tool at time of second language acquisition, teachers should consider the use of other supplemental materials, add-ons or manipulation of the game in order to be a fruitful vehicle for learners of a foreign language.
As might be expected these two studies also had implications in the development of the four skills reading, listening, speaking and writing. In terms of reading, the Sims were helpful in the development of this skill because participants were exposed to different descriptions and tasks which they were unfamiliar with and the inclusion of new words. Nevertheless, there is nothing that relates with reading comprehension just a few texts of descriptions and tasks that participants were reading before and after achieving them.
The game Wow reading was also limited to the reading of daily tasks and surfing through the game. In terms of writing, the Sims did not provide any opportunities to enhance writing to the participants. This skill was developed by other supplemental materials that was provided together with the game. Same happened with the World of Warcraft, although in this game there was some short of writing production from the participants as they were taking part in the guild chats. It is needed to say that these writing productions were short sentences or even some slang vocabulary that the participants knew. As in the Sims, World of Warcraft writing production happened in the supplemental diary that participants had to write as part of the study
Nevertheless, both games were useful for learning new vocabulary and sentences that they may later use in their future writing productions. In terms of speaking, The Sims was very present despite the fact that it is not a skill presented in the game. Participants were communicating most of the time in English which was useful as participants were collaborating together to understand the different vocabulary and culture aspects presented in the game.
World of Warcraft was different in this aspect. Speaking did not happen frequently or at all because most of the communication happened in the guild chat and not face-to-face. Participants did not work with other partners as it happened in the Sims, it was more of an isolated type of playing. Thus, it should be acknowledged that at the time of this study World of Warcraft did not support voice-chat. This has been added recently so that in a way it still can be useful for speaking. It fully provides an immersive environment where learners can communicate through voice-chat with native speakers of the second language.
Lastly regarding listening, both games were lacking the development of this skill and some of the participants felt that the games (The Sims and World of Warcraft) would have been much more useful if this skill was present in the games. This may have happened because VWs games are more focused, especially World of Warcraft, on the communicative competence than other competences of a language. However with the fairly recent update of World of Warcraft to use voice-chat, learners can enhance their listening skills by communicating with native speakers.
However, it is important not to forget that participants not only were learning about the language through the games, but also learning some cultural aspects. Although we have not considered the cultural approach as a language skill. Language and culture are closely related and therefore both games were full of cultural references that they still can be useful for the learners of a second language.
In sum, in spite the fact that further research should be considered in the field of videogames for teaching a foreign language. We can conclude that videogames can be an additional support for learners of a language. Games provide singular spaces where learners can explore the language in their own time. Videogames also contribute to the motivation to learn about the second language because it offers as said above a different approach to the typical language learning in the classroom. Therefore educators should take advantage of the possibilities that games offer to strengthen students’ linguistic skills in the target language by guiding them on how to use video games as a tool to learn autonomously.
Additionally, it is equally important to acknowledge that videogames on their own might not always be adequate to the learning, nevertheless, this can be mitigated with the use of add-ons and modifications as well as be supplemented with other materials that can also facilitate the learning of a language. On the whole we can appraise that the use of videogames will be increasing in the lesson classrooms but as a supplementary source of language exposure and as a complement of regular coursework.
References
- Arts, E. (2019). The Sims Video Games - Official EA Site. Retrieved 5 December 2019, from https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims?setLocale=en-us
- Blizzard Entertainment. (2019). Retrieved 6 December 2019, from https://www.blizzard.com/en-us/
- Croal, N. (2003). Sims Family Values. Newsweek.
- Eisenchlas, S., Schalley, A., & Moyes, G. (2016). Play to learn: self-directed home language literacy acquisition through online games. Retrieved 5 December 2019, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13670050.2015.1037715?tab=permissions&scroll=top
- Rama, P, Black, R, Van Es, E., & Warshchauer, M) Affordances for second language learning in World of Warcraft. Retrieved 5 December 2019, from : http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0958344012000171
- Ranalli, J. (2019). Learning English with The Sims: exploiting authentic computer simulation games for L2 learning. Retrieved 8 December 2019, from https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1080&context=engl_pubs
- Yu, Baohua; Watkins, David A. (2008). Motivational and cultural correlates of second language acquisition: An investigation of international students in the universities of the People’s Republic of China. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics 31 (2), 17.1–17.22. DOI: 10.2104/aral0817.
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