Abstract
Vernacular video games may significantly impact second language teaching and learning (L2TL) because they are engaging and promote affordances. According to a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) perspective, game-enhanced and game-informed theories are the theoretical backgrounds that support the use of video games as wraparound materials to improve second language (L2) acquisition through a task-based approach. This paper focuses on the qualitative case study Gameful English, conducted in a public secondary school in Italy among 27 students aged 15–18. It presents extra-curricular and extra-mural activities to enhance English as a second language (ESL), using the video game Minecraft as a teaching and learning tool and gamification in the assessment. In Italy, 3.7 million players are aged between 15 and 24. At the same time, Italians’ competence in ESL is among the lowest in Europe. Using video games for learning may stimulate students to improve their skills, even reducing stress and anxiety caused by the current Italian evaluation system. Initial results show positive and motivating feedback for the research because participants notice improvements in their speaking, vocabulary and listening abilities and a more relaxed approach toward assessment.
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D’Adamo, F. (2023). Gameful English: How Playing Vernacular Video Games May Enhance ESL Learning in an Extra-Mural Educational Context. In: García-Peñalvo, F.J., García-Holgado, A. (eds) Proceedings TEEM 2022: Tenth International Conference on Technological Ecosystems for Enhancing Multiculturality. TEEM 2022. Lecture Notes in Educational Technology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0942-1_64
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