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Cited by 10EFL/ESL Teaching and LearningDigital Games and MediaEducational Games and Gamification

“There's a sniper on that hill!”: gaming in English as a global language environment

Open access
Peake, Jeni, Reynolds, Alexandra·2020·Angles
DOI 10.4000/angles.3237
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Abstract

Gaming, where users put into application their language repertoire in an informal context, involves language. For speakers of English as a Second Language (L2), gaming provides access to the wider English-speaking community of English as lingua franca speakers (Jenkins 2015; Kachru 1986). According to Thorne et al. online games “comprise the most socially and cognitively complex forms of interactive media currently available” (2009: 808). To this end, gamers use language through a variety of modes, including speaking and writing. In addition, the skills and capacities needed to instant-message whilst gaming are forming new types of literacy and communication (Godwin-Jones 2004). In accordance with online language learning theories which argue that language learning occurs “in the wild” (Thorne 2010: 144), online interaction can give L2 speakers access to “real talk” rather than the simulated or role-played talk of the second language classroom (Kohn & Hoffstaedter 2017). Motivation for learning a language for gaming can therefore be aligned to intrinsic motivational language learning models (Ryan & Deci 2000; Wæge 2007). The present study considers French youths who use online games in English and asks what makes the language and environment of gaming an accessible way to learn English. The methods used were an online survey and interviews of students at the University of Bordeaux who reported on how gaming helped them to improve their English through immersion. The results show that the online nature of the exchanges between the speakers made the speakers feel more confident when trying to communicate in English (both within the game and when interacting with others in English when not gaming). In addition, the repetitive nature of games and gaming vocabulary helped the participants to learn English words and phrases without the impression of being drilled. The immersive experience facilitated by games gave L2 speakers of English the ability to travel virtually outside of their L1 local language environment.

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Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. Abt, Clark, C. Serious Games. New York: Viking Press, 1970.
  2. Ducheneaut, Nicolas, and Robert J Moore. "Gaining More than Experience Points: Learning Social Behavior in Multiplayer Computer Games." CHI 2004 workshop on social learning through gaming. Vienna, Austria, 2004. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/ 228645051_Gaining_more_than_experience_points_Learning_social_behavior_in_multiplayer_computer_games
  3. Herrington, A. Couros & V. Irvine. Proceedings of EdMedia 2013--World Conference on Educational Media and Technology (pp. 1999-2008). Victoria, Canada: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). 2013. https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/112246/ "There's a sniper on that hill!": Gaming in English as a Global Language Envi... Angles, 11 | 2020
  4. Phillipson, Robert. Linguistic Imperialism. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1992.
  5. Wæge, Kjersti. "Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation Versus Social and Intrustrumental Rationale for Learning Mathematics." ResearchGate. 2007. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/

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Authors
Peake, J., & Reynolds, A.
ORCID
Venue
Angles
Publisher
OpenEdition
Published
2020
Volume
11
ISSN
2274-2042 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.4000/angles.3237
OpenAlex
W3106101074
Cited by
10
References
43
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1
FWCI
2.33
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Angles (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • OpenEdition (OpenEdition) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Digital Games and Media
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Educational Games and Gamification
Keywords
gaming, English as a second language, English as a lingua franca, online games, immersion, language learning motivation, intrinsic motivation, French learners of English, online interaction, language confidence

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