A Literature Review and Meta-analysis of Digital Games and Second Language Learning

Exposed to traditional language learning strategies, students will gradually lose interest in and motivation to not only learn English, but also any language or culture. Hence, researchers are seeking technology-based learning strategies, such as digital game-mediated language learning, to motivate students and improve learning performance. This paper synthesizes the findings of empirical studies focused on the effectiveness of digital games in language education published within the last five years. Nine qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies are collected and analyzed in this paper. The review found that recent empirical research was conducted primarily to examine the effectiveness by measuring language learning outcomes, motivation, and interactions. Weak proficiency was found in vocabulary retention, but strong proficiency was present in communicative skills such as speaking. Furthermore, in general, students reported that they are motivated to engage in language learning when digital games are involved; however, the motivation is also observed to be weak due to the design of the game and/or individual differences. The most effective method used to stimulate interaction language learning process seems to be digital games, as empirical studies demonstrate that it effectively promotes language education. However, significant work is still required to provide clear answers with respect to innovative and effective learning practice

Patterns of Participation in Classroom Learning

This study is concerned with the learning experiences and strategies of secondary Aboriginal girls from Elcho Island in the Northern Territory as they study in an urban school in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The girls were learning English as their second and third language. The study details how the ESL teacher/author tried to understand how to meet the needs of these girls who came with such different learning strategies and styles. The teacher/author's visit to their homeland in Elcho Island immediately helped her to understand how the grils' different social and learning experiences had influenced them, and how different their lives were at the new school. The account of observations and analysis of their patterns of participation in their new school give important insights into their learning styles

A Study on the Usage of the Board Race Game; as a Grammar Retention Strategy for English as a Second Language (ESL) Learners

Language games are often recognized as one of the important components when teaching and learning English, in a Second Language classroom. Conversely, in the traditional classroom setting, playing games is believed to be highly unproductive. Given that, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of language games as a grammar retention strategy for ESL learners. The study was conducted at All Saints’ College, Sri Lanka using a mixed methods research approach where the sample groups were experimented and observed in two settings: the traditional classroom and the game-based approach. For data collection, all three classes of grade six, with 30 students in each, were classified randomly as the experimental group and the two control groups. While the experimental group was exposed to the game, “The Board Race” when teaching irregular past tense, the control groups were taught the same without the game. According to the results which were achieved from the t-test, through a comparison of the mean scores of the pre-test and two post-tests, the experimental group exceeded the two control groups with higher mean values, during the immediate retention stage and the delayed retention stages, proving that the two teaching methods have different influences on grammar retention. The above results were further confirmed by the positive responses of the experimental group in terms of behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement. Thus, this study suggests the need to incorporate games with text-based instructions in the ESL classroom, which is helpful for the students to retain grammar, in the long term.     DOI: http://doi.org/10.31357/fhss/vjhss.v08i01.0

Development of a mobile application as a didactic strategy to improve english vocabulary in elementary school students

Propose the use of a mobile application as a didactic strategy to improve English vocabulary in elementary studentsThe present research work entitled “Development of a mobile application as a didactic strategy to improve English vocabulary in elementary school students" aimed to propose the use of a mobile application with worksheets as a didactic strategy to improve English vocabulary. A mixed study of quantitative and qualitative tools was applied, with surveys for teachers and students. The results justified that teachers and students of the Unidad Educativa San Roque need to integrate a teaching and learning model based on mobile applications. This analysis allowed the development of the application called "My First English App" and an activity guide in worksheets for teaching English vocabulary to 2nd-grade students. Finally, it is expected that teachers will benefit and see how important apps are in professional works with children.Licenciatur

AUGMENTING EFL STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILLS THROUGH THE MYSTERY BOX GAME

This study examined how employing the Mystery Box game affected tenth-grade students' speaking skills at a senior high school in Lhokseumawe, Aceh, Indonesia. It employed pre-experimental quantitative research. A number of 25 students from class X-3 were purposively chosen as the sample of this study. In collecting the data, the researchers used tests (pre-test and post-test) as the instrument, and the results were analyzed by using statistics. The results showed that the mean scores of the pre-test and post-test were 37.2 and 73.2, respectively. The mean score of the post-test was higher than the mean score of the pre-test, with the T-test value of 4,556, and the critical value in the t-table (0.05) of 1.711. This implies that the t-score is higher than the t-table (t- score = 4.534 t-table = 1.711), and thus the alternative hypothesis (Ha) of this research was accepted and the null hypothesis (Ho) was rejected. In conclusion, teaching English by using the Mystery Box game to improve these EFL students’ speaking skills succeeded. Consequently, the use of this game is among the alternative media to be used by English teachers in augmenting their students’ skills in speaking English. When students achieve the accuracy and mastery of speaking skills, at a later stage, it can help them move to the improvement of other language skill

THE PRAXIS OF INTEGRATING VIRTUAL REALITY INTO VOCABULARY TEACHING TO YOUNG LEARNERS

In this digital age, using technology to teach English has become commonplace. This study focuses on the integration of virtual reality (VR) into vocabulary teaching to young learners. The aims of the study are finding out the teacher's classroom practices, the challenges, and the young learners’ views of VR integration in learning vocabulary. In this study, a case study was applied in conjunction with observation, an open-ended questionnaire, and an interview to uncover the concerns. The respondents were an English teacher and 40 students of fifth grade at SDN 1 Cipanas, Cianjur. Despite the fact that the teacher was able to incorporate VR into her English classroom, there are also some challenges discovered during the practice. School readiness in terms of device availability, teacher’s TPACK level, workloads, teaching media, and classroom managerial skills became the primary issues in the language instruction using VR. Furthermore, the proficiency, characteristics, and quantity of students in the classroom must also all be taken into account. To young learners, on the other hand, learning vocabulary using VR is engaging and entertaining, even if prolonged exposure to the VR lens causes headaches. It is recommended that policymakers pay greater attention to providing more supportive policies and improved facilities for TEYL practice in Indonesia

Evaluating Language-learning Mobile Apps for Second-language Learners

As mobile technologies become more affordable and more advanced in function, researchers suggest that using mobile apps to assist English language learning are appropriate. This three-step evaluation study (designing a theory-driven rubric, selecting apps, and evaluating the apps) aims to investigate and evaluate the affordances of English language learning mobile apps for adult learners. The results of this evaluation study contribute to the literature of mobile learning targeting adult learners, and also broaden the knowledge body of integrating mobile learning into English Language Learning (ELL) classes

Non-background Chinese learners' pronunciation acquisition through language transfer : an action research in a Sydney public school

This research focuses on the exploration of a language transfer teaching approach to make Chinese (Mandarin) learnable for young beginning learners. A qualitative action research methodology was chosen as most relevant to improve the teacher researcher’s teaching practice in a primary school in Australia over three school terms/ three research Cycles. The aim of this research was to find a suitable language transfer-based teaching approach to make Chinese learnable to non-background Chinese learners. The overarching research question was: How can students’ L1 (English) be employed to facilitate the pronunciation acquisition in their L2 (Chinese) learning? Ringbom’s (2007) contention that there are three cross-linguistic similarity relations between languages: “similarity relation”, “contrast relation”, and “zero relation” was implemented to explore the research question. Grounded in the outcomes of Cycle 1 teaching and learning the teacher researcher refined Ringbom’s (2007) three categories into two – “Similar Relation” and “Non-relation” and continued to implement this framework in Cycles 2 and 3. Based on the data analysis and informed by a review of the literature, this action research found that Mandarin and English do share various phonetic similarities of vowels and consonants. In addition, identification and application of such phonetic similarities (language transfer) between Mandarin and English helped young beginning learners to engage in Mandarin pronunciation lessons more effectively and confidently. This research also explored the tensions for teaching and learning pronunciation when no similarities could be identified in the Mandarin vocabulary to be taught. Various supplementary teaching approaches were developed and implemented to assist the young learners’ Mandarin pronunciation when “Non-relation” between the languages was identified. This thesis has concluded with an in-depth discussion of the findings in relation to the research question and its contributory questions. This has resulted in a list of teaching strategies being offered for other like-minded teacher researchers to trial

Teachers' attitudes towards using multisensory tools in English writing instruction in Hong Kong primary school(s)

published_or_final_versionEducationBachelorBachelor of Education in Language Educatio