Research Question: “To what degree can it be evidenced that interactive role playing games enhance the mutual second language acquisition of both Mandarin and English?”♦ Small scale side project to ascertain avatar interaction preferences based on perception.♦ Pilot study will apply psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic research knowledge to specifically designed game

Dempster, Euan W.

Harbord, Charly

English

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RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2015www.PosterPresentations.comResearch Question: “To what degree can it beevidenced that interactive role playing gamesenhance the mutual second language acquisition ofboth Mandarin and English?”• Small-scale side project to ascertain avatarinteraction preferences based on perception.• Pilot study will apply psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic research knowledge to specifically designed game. AbstractHypothesis QuestionsBackground to Mandarin• Learning almost as by-product• Balance between formal and informal learning• Inclusion of both individual and social learning environmentsSerious GamesAvatarsResultsReferencesCornillie, F., Thorne, S. and Desmet, P. (2012). ReCALL special issue: Digital games forlanguage learning: challenges and opportunities. ReCALL, [online] 24(03), pp.243-256.Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0958344012000134Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. New York:Palgrave Macmillan.Hooi, R. and Cho, H. (2014). Avatar-driven self-disclosure: The virtual me is the actual me.Computers in Human Behavior, [online] 39, pp.20-28. Available at:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.06.019Jabbari, N. and Eslami, Z. (2018). Second language learning in the context of massivelymultiplayer online games: A scoping review. ReCALL, [online] 31(01), pp.92-113.Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0958344018000058Lee, J. and Pass, C. (2014). Massively multiplayer online gaming and English languagelearning. In: H. Gerber and S. Schamroth Abrams, ed., Bridging Literacies withVideogames, 1st ed. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, pp.91-101.Peterson, M. (2011). Digital gaming and second language development: Japanese learnersinteractions in a MMORPG. Digital Culture and Education, 3(1), pp.56-73.Sørensen, B. H., & Meyer, B. (2007). Serious games in language learning and teaching: Atheoretical perspective. In Proceedings of the 2007 Digital Games Research AssociationConference (pp. 559-566). Tokyo. Digital Games Research Association.Yasar, S. (2018). The Role of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games in ExtramuralSecond Language Learning: A Literature Review. Journal of Educational Technology andOnline Learning. [online] Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.31681/jetol.436100AcknowledgementsI would like to thank Dr Euan Dempster and Ken Fee, without whose guidance and unerring support I would not be here presenting today.  I would like to thank Dayna Galloway and Gregor White, both of whom had the faith to invest in me and my research.I thank my son for his understanding of my anti-social work hours and the disappointing teas he has had to suffer whilst I have been writing.Last but not least all of my friends who have been ready with bottles of wine to listen to me whine!• Can games and education be effectively combined; to provide mutual learning platform to enhance production and comprehension of the written languages?• Does the Proteus effect of using an avatar negate the interference of ‘Face’ for Chinese students?• Does the choice of the interlocutor’s avatar affect interaction in the target language?• Will the target language learners who are involved in the supplementary game based learning experience higher levels of motivation for learning language?Abertay University: School of Design and Informatics, Games and Arts DivisionCharly HarbordRPGs to Enhance the Second Language Acquisition of Both Mandarin and English• Provides deep immersion and motivation beneficial for second language learning (Cornillie et al., 2012).• In game rewards system encourages both informal and implicit learning (Gee, 2003). • Avatars can help negate the anxiety that a learner may feel within face-to-face conversation in the target language (Peterson, 2011).• In game text second language learner can see and re-read their conversation, which can help identify errors and allow focus on speech (Peterson, 2011)RPGs and L2 learningWhich avatar:• Player would feel uncomfortable speaking in the target language with• Player would choose for themselves as second language speaker• Player would feel comfortable speaking in the target language withThe results part way through the Avatar experiment have proved interesting and surprising:• Chinese participants who are learning English as a second language have chosen the Asian male, Alien male and Celtic woman avatars to represent themselves.• Chinese participants have demonstrated that they are highly driven by aesthetics of the avatars when expressing the desire to interact or not.• It is expected that the Western student preferences will match those of the Chinese student’s.• The results will be tied to socio-cultural and psychological theories attached to ‘face’ and second language acquisition.• The findings of the small-scale avatar study will go to inform the avatar choices in the RPG.Contact DetailsCharly Harbordc-a.harbord@abertay.ac.ukRadicals• The key to understanding the written Chinese Language• Used to find new words in the dictionary• Semantic or phoneticResearch Materials• Nothing off the shelf fitted exact needs• RPG MakerMV could be used to create a RPG that exactly reflected the language input needed• RPG maker is single person, so a work-around was needed• Same game created twice; once in Mandarin and once in English with mutual chat blog utilised to encourage cooperative game playSmall-Scale Research Early Findings Most popular choice for own AvatarMost likely to interact withLeast likely to interact with

RPGs to enhance the second language acquisition of both Mandarin and English

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RPGs to enhance the second language acquisition of both Mandarin and English

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