Impact of Using Instructional Video Games as an on EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Retention

Maryam Salavati, Hadi Salehi

The authors claims the importance of vocabulary at a point that they argue that it is more
important than grammar, according to some authors. However, in order for learners to acquire a
new word, it is important for them to do so incidentally. This incidental learning usually happens in
a relaxed and fun environment, which can be provided with a video game. However, the games
used in this study were not complete games for entertaining purposes but they were mini-games
dedicated to the vocabulary learning in English learning websites. The main conclusions of the
study were that at the end, using these games, the students retained the new vocabulary for a
longer period of time, which would mean that using this methodology for lessons would help
learners and improve their performance, since they are not just checking a word’s meaning, but
they are using it in different contexts.

Students’ perceptions about the use of video games in the classroom

Jeroen Bourgonjon, Martin Valcke, Ronald Soetaert, Tammy Schellens

It is established that new learners are different from learners in other times, when digital material
was not accessible for them and the authors believe that it is necessary to pay attention to these
changes since they can be a turning point in the development of teaching. However, the study was
conducted in order to just know what do the new generation students think and feel about video
games in classroom. It is also claimed that even if video games and learning are related, some
students deny this relationship, leaving the educational part to be only related to school.

This study took into consideration preference for video games, usefulness (student’s perception
about their educational enhancement), learning opportunities, ease of use and experience. As a
general conclusion, students’ perceptions regarding video games in classrooms depends mostly on
their previous experience with them, in and outside classrooms.

Exploring the Boundaries of Narrative: Video Games in the English Classroom

Jonathan Ostenson

Narrative can be done through several media devices apart from books, that would be
advertisements, films and so on. What the author tries to explain is that video games are also part
of this. They have become a new form to convey narrative, meaning narrative as anything that has
a plot, a theme and a conflict merged together.

The researcher presented to his students several types of video games that presented different
types of storytelling. As a teacher, he had discussions with his students about the stories that they
were playing, which seemed relevant and more motivating for them, even if not all of them had
any experience with video games at all, but certainly, it was more engaging.
What the students noticed about this type of storytelling was that the participation and control of
the story was more involving for the player than a book for a reader. Also, some of these games
such as Zork branched the story, depending on what decisions were taken by the player.