Digital video games and language learners' vocabulary learning, motivation and engagement: teachers' perceptions of types and effectiveness
Open accessAbstract
Digital video games are effective sources for learning language skills and components, particularly vocabulary. While digital video games have gained popularity as educational tools, there needs to be more research focusing on teachers' perspectives. The study adopts a qualitative research design, employing interviews to gather data. This qualitative research study explored the perceptions of 12 selected teachers through theoretical sampling. The teachers were asked to elaborate on the types and effectiveness of digital video games in young language learners' vocabulary learning. The findings revealed that teachers utilize various types of digital video games, including educational games, language-specific games, and interactive simulations, in vocabulary instruction. Teachers perceived these games as effective in enhancing vocabulary learning by providing engaging and immersive experiences that promote active participation and motivation among young language learners. However, concerns about potential distractions and limited control over content are also identified. The study highlights the need for further research to support teachers in effectively integrating digital video games into language learning contexts. By understanding teachers' perceptions, this study contributes to the pedagogical implications of digital video games in language education and informs future practices in vocabulary instruction.
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Akbulut, S., Şimşek, B., Direkci, B., Koparan, B., Gülmez, M., Şimşek, E. E., & Kayır, G. (2026) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1798613
“…problem-solving processes, and high levels of motivation enable learners to process the language input at a deeper level, thereby increasing the likelihood of incidental vocabulary learning (Alibakhshi et al., 2025; Karimi and Nasouri, 2024; Lee, 2023; Wang and Feng, 2025; Wu et al., 2025).”
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- Authors
- Alibakhshi, G., Zarei, M. A., & Labbafi, A.
- Affiliations
- Allameh Tabataba'i University (IR)
- Islamic Azad University, Tehran (IR)
- Venue
- Computer-Assisted Language Learning Electronic Journal
- Published
- 2025-11-04
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 94-113
- ISSN
- 2187-9036 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4410465799
- Cited by
- 2
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2
- FWCI
- 4.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Computer-Assisted Language Learning Electronic Journal (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Educational Games and Gamification
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Second Language Acquisition and Learning
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning
- Keywords
- vocabulary acquisition, language learners, teacher perceptions, game-based learning, interactive simulation, student motivation, student engagement, young language learners, vocabulary teaching, game-based language learning
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