Conversational Gamers: Developing Language Skills and Connections Through Board Games
As the number of international students entering North American universities grows there is an increasing need to develop programs that help with their transition to a new community. International students are not only making the leap from secondary to post-secondary education, they are also entering a new country and culture and may struggle making connections with their domestic peers. This session plans to summarize the research surrounding relationships between international and domestic students and using games for language learning. It will also present a case study on the implementation of a conversation partners program that paired domestic and international students together with board games to not only improve language skills, but to bridge the gap between these two student groups. Research shows that learning through play, including multiple examples of language learners learning through gaming, is a highly successful endeavor. The literature largely focuses on using digital games in the classroom with limited research on using board games or role-play games for a similar purpose. This program was created as a partnership between the Wilfrid Laurier University Library, Laurier International and the Laurier English and Academic Foundation (LEAF) program.
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