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TEACHING ENGLISH VIA COMPUTER GAMES: MERITS AND CRITIQUE

TEACHING ENGLISH VIA COMPUTER GAMES: MERITS AND CRITIQUE. by Mykhailo Noshchenko mshnosh@gmail.com Facebook: Michael Noshchenko. DISCLAIMER.

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TEACHING ENGLISH VIA COMPUTER GAMES: MERITS AND CRITIQUE

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  1. TEACHING ENGLISH VIA COMPUTER GAMES: MERITS AND CRITIQUE

    by Mykhailo Noshchenko mshnosh@gmail.com Facebook: Michael Noshchenko
  2. DISCLAIMER My personal ELT method is (for now) based on one particular game – “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” by Bethesda Game Studios – due to its incredible possibilities for CLIL as well as for LA. Yet the aim of this presentation is neither to promote nor to denigrate any brand or company, but to raise awareness of the role of computer games in ELT.
  3. BACK TO LIVERPOOL 2013
  4. WHY COMPUTER GAMES? Literature and films are well-known for their educative purposes, but computer games are not so much. Which is a shame. Modern computer games are much more advanced in terms of their content (lexis, plot devices, thought-provoking potential etc.) then the games of past few decades. Plus they are games and thus they are interactive. Therefore computer games provide something more then just language. They provide immersion.
  5. GAME GENRES I WOULD RECOMMEND FOR ELT Role-playing games (RPG) Turn-based strategies (TBS)
  6. REASONING Extensive vocabulary and perfect semantic and pragmatic language training material Virtual simulation of immersive environment for learning English Possibility for CLIL and LA synergy
  7. GAME GENRES I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND FOR ELT Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) Real-time strategies (RTS) First-person shooters (FPS)
  8. REASONING Very addictive nature of these games, which requires time as well as money to play. Poor lexis used in communication between players (Internet slang at the least) Harmful for students’ studying process
  9. GAMING IS FAR FROM BEING AN ORTHODOX ELT METHOD, LET ALONE BEING SOMEHOW SYSTEMATISED
  10. YET…
  11. ELT specialists can use certain computer games as a linguistic sandbox
  12. By “linguistic sandbox” I understand: A “cold medium” that involves much more than just daily homeworking and occasional testing A virtual worldspace that enables students to experience different close-to-life challenges while “on the couch” Possibility for non-linear language study
  13. MERITS: Uninhibited lexis with high-quality visualizations and vocalizations Thought-provoking material presented in a way that does not involve any real-life edgy moments Possibility for advanced students to learn more then just textbook lexis
  14. MERITS: If properly guided, gaming can foster education of reluctant students, i.e.: “English could be fun!” Even without any task students will be able to absorb a score of language skills while playing any computer game on their own
  15. CRITIQUE Computer gaming is yet not a universal activity, i.e.: Without proper reasoning, gaming as an ELT method could be successful mostly with people familiar with it. Others might be reluctant to participate, dismissing it as “immature”, “counterproductive” or even “frivolous” Adult learners of intermediate English level demand more task-specific English material It will take time to fully introduce female learners to gaming, let alone to its benefits for ELT
  16. CRITIQUE Gaming demands certain level of digital savvy and hardware In order to use computer games as an ELT material a student needs to be properly motivated, otherwise it could have opposite results At the current stage, it is near to impossible to introduce gaming as an ELT method into any academic process Even the most immersive computer game to date does not provide an opportunity to practice speaking
  17. IN ORDER TO BE AS IMPARTIAL AS POSSIBLE I WOULD LIKE YOU TO LISTEN TO THE COMMENTARIES OF MY STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS ELT ENDEAVOUR VOLUTARILY
  18. WHAT’S NEXT? With each generation computer games receive more and more traction as well as attraction, which is why it is imperative to introduce gaming as more then just a fun way to spend one’s free time, but as a fully-fledged intellectual resource The method is far from being developed, and for that very reason I urge the ELT community to participate in making it something more than just a personal undertaking I also urge the developers of computer games to fully realize the cultural relevance of their work and to enhance the quality of their products
  19. FUN FACT I owe half of my vocabulary and use of English skills to the games I’ve been playing as a student
  20. THANK YOU FOR ATTENTION!
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