Collaborative Discussion during MMORPG: How Game Features and Incidental Vocabulary Learning Influence ESL Learners’ Language Learning
Keywords:
digital game-based learning; game features; incidental vocabulary learning; collaborative discussions; Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG)Abstract
Digital games could potentially foster learners’ motivation to collaborate with peers and self-directed learning. In line with that, this study aims to explore the influence of game features in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) that motivates collaboration among ESL learners. 16 ESL game players who have experience playing online games were recruited for the study. The participants were required to play Lost Ark for 60 hours, and their interactions during the gameplay sessions were video recorded. The participants were interviewed, and the sessions were audio recorded. A qualitative content analysis was conducted on two sets of data collected from the excerpts transcribed from video and audio recordings, namely (a) participants’ collaborative discussions during gameplay sessions, and (b) participants’ responses during online semi-structured interview sessions. The findings from the interviews revealed that the game features of MMORPGs seemed to motivate ESL learners to engage in collaborative discussions during gameplay sessions. The findings also revealed episodes of incidental vocabulary learning during collaborative discussions, which implied that digital game-based learning via MMORPG could influence ESL learners’ mastery of the English language, indicating that MMORPG could enhance the lexical knowledge of ESL learners. The findings show that MMORPG may potentially improve learners’ lexical knowledge and English proficiency, which could prove beneficial to future researchers who may wish to explore how online game genres and attributes of players influence the process of collaborative discussion that is linked to incidental vocabulary learning.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.6.44
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