Incidental Lexicon Acquisition through Playful Interaction

• Main Author: Lukas Wilhelm Ansteeg
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kassel University Press 2015-02-01
• Series: International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET)
• Subjects: Game Based Learning, Lexicon Acquisition, Second Language Acquisition, Serious Games
• Online Access: http://online-journals.org/index.php/i-jet/article/view/4156

This paper presents an educational game which aids learners with foreign lexicon acquisition while entertaining them at the same time. An overview over existing language learning tools is given, and a general platform for educational games for second language acquisition (SLA) is described. It introduces a specific prototype video game which teaches Italian vocabulary to the user. The application puts learning at the core of its game mechanics and combines it with a narrative and role-playing elements. In a user study, the game is compared to two other learning methods with focus on long term retention of vocabulary and enjoyment of the exercise. The game is found to perform within 10% of the efficiency of pure vocabulary learning exercises, while being considerably more enjoyable to the user.