“There’s a sniper on that hill!”: Gaming in English as a Global Language Environment
Gaming, where users put into application their language repertoire in an informal context, involves language. For speakers of English as a Second Language (L2), gaming provides access to the wider English-speaking community of English as lingua franca speakers (Jenkins 2015; Kachru 1986). According...
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| izdano v: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/angles, |
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| Auteurs principaux: | , |
| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Jezik: | Anglais |
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Angles
2020
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| Teme: | |
| Online dostop: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:angles_3237 |
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openedition |
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OpenEdition Journal |
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Anglais |
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Article ou chapitre numérique |
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0/Bibliothèque numérique/ 1/Bibliothèque numérique/OpenEdition Journals/ |
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jeux vidéo jeux jeux en ligne environnement d’apprentissage virtuel motivation apprentissage de l’anglais games video games online gaming virtual learning environment motivation English language learning |
| spellingShingle |
jeux vidéo jeux jeux en ligne environnement d’apprentissage virtuel motivation apprentissage de l’anglais games video games online gaming virtual learning environment motivation English language learning Peake, Jeni Reynolds, Alexandra “There’s a sniper on that hill!”: Gaming in English as a Global Language Environment |
| description |
Gaming, where users put into application their language repertoire in an informal context, involves language. For speakers of English as a Second Language (L2), gaming provides access to the wider English-speaking community of English as lingua franca speakers (Jenkins 2015; Kachru 1986). According to Thorne et al. online games “comprise the most socially and cognitively complex forms of interactive media currently available” (2009: 808). To this end, gamers use language through a variety of modes, including speaking and writing. In addition, the skills and capacities needed to instant-message whilst gaming are forming new types of literacy and communication (Godwin-Jones 2004). In accordance with online language learning theories which argue that language learning occurs “in the wild” (Thorne 2010: 144), online interaction can give L2 speakers access to “real talk” rather than the simulated or role-played talk of the second language classroom (Kohn & Hoffstaedter 2017). Motivation for learning a language for gaming can therefore be aligned to intrinsic motivational language learning models (Ryan & Deci 2000; Wæge 2007). The present study considers French youths who use online games in English and asks what makes the language and environment of gaming an accessible way to learn English. The methods used were an online survey and interviews of students at the University of Bordeaux who reported on how gaming helped them to improve their English through immersion. The results show that the online nature of the exchanges between the speakers made the speakers feel more confident when trying to communicate in English (both within the game and when interacting with others in English when not gaming). In addition, the repetitive nature of games and gaming vocabulary helped the participants to learn English words and phrases without the impression of being drilled. The immersive experience facilitated by games gave L2 speakers of English the ability to travel virtually outside of their L1 local language environment. |
| author |
Peake, Jeni Reynolds, Alexandra |
| author_facet |
Peake, Jeni Reynolds, Alexandra |
| author_sort |
Peake, Jeni |
| title |
“There’s a sniper on that hill!”: Gaming in English as a Global Language Environment |
| title_short |
“There’s a sniper on that hill!”: Gaming in English as a Global Language Environment |
| title_full |
“There’s a sniper on that hill!”: Gaming in English as a Global Language Environment |
| title_fullStr |
“There’s a sniper on that hill!”: Gaming in English as a Global Language Environment |
| title_full_unstemmed |
“There’s a sniper on that hill!”: Gaming in English as a Global Language Environment |
| title_sort |
“there’s a sniper on that hill!”: gaming in english as a global language environment |
| publisher |
Angles |
| publishDate |
2020 |
| container_title |
URI:https://journals.openedition.org/angles |
| url |
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/angles.3237 https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/angles/3237 |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:angles_3237 https://doi.org/10.4000/angles.3237 urn:doi:10.4000/angles.3237 en https://journals.openedition.org/angles/3237 2020-11-11T01:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/9n19 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ “There’s a sniper on that hill!”: Gaming in English as a Global Language Environment Angles Société des Anglicistes de l'Enseignement Supérieur info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2274-2042 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/angles Peake, Jeni Reynolds, Alexandra jeux vidéo jeux jeux en ligne environnement d’apprentissage virtuel motivation apprentissage de l’anglais games video games online gaming virtual learning environment motivation English language learning Gaming, where users put into application their language repertoire in an informal context, involves language. For speakers of English as a Second Language (L2), gaming provides access to the wider English-speaking community of English as lingua franca speakers (Jenkins 2015; Kachru 1986). According to Thorne et al. online games “comprise the most socially and cognitively complex forms of interactive media currently available” (2009: 808). To this end, gamers use language through a variety of modes, including speaking and writing. In addition, the skills and capacities needed to instant-message whilst gaming are forming new types of literacy and communication (Godwin-Jones 2004). In accordance with online language learning theories which argue that language learning occurs “in the wild” (Thorne 2010: 144), online interaction can give L2 speakers access to “real talk” rather than the simulated or role-played talk of the second language classroom (Kohn & Hoffstaedter 2017). Motivation for learning a language for gaming can therefore be aligned to intrinsic motivational language learning models (Ryan & Deci 2000; Wæge 2007). The present study considers French youths who use online games in English and asks what makes the language and environment of gaming an accessible way to learn English. The methods used were an online survey and interviews of students at the University of Bordeaux who reported on how gaming helped them to improve their English through immersion. The results show that the online nature of the exchanges between the speakers made the speakers feel more confident when trying to communicate in English (both within the game and when interacting with others in English when not gaming). In addition, the repetitive nature of games and gaming vocabulary helped the participants to learn English words and phrases without the impression of being drilled. The immersive experience facilitated by games gave L2 speakers of English the ability to travel virtually outside of their L1 local language environment. Les jeux où les usagers appliquent effectivement leur répertoire de langage dans un contexte informel impliquent l’usage du langage. Pour ceux dont l’anglais est la deuxième langue, les jeux en ligne fournissent un accès à la communauté élargie des utilisateurs de la langue anglaise comme lingua Franca (Jenkins 2015; Kachru 1986). Selon Thorne et al., les jeux en ligne « regroupent les formes de médias interactifs les plus sociales et complexes disponibles actuellement en matière cognitive » (2009: 808). A cette fin, les joueurs utilisent le langage à travers une variété de fonctions, qui incluent la parole et l’écriture. Par ailleurs, les compétences et capacités nécessaires pour échanger des messages instantanés pendant les jeux en ligne forment de nouvelles formes de littérature et communication (Godwin-Jones 2004). Conformément aux théories de l’apprentissage des langues en ligne, qui soutient que l’apprentissage des langues a lieu dans « dans un contexte naturel » (Thorne 2010: 144), l’interaction en ligne peut donner aux utilisateurs de l’anglais comme deuxième langue un accès à un « langage réel » plutôt qu’à un langage simulé ou relevant des discussions liées à des jeux de rôles survenant dans les cours de langues (Kohn & Hoffstaedter 2017). La motivation pour apprendre une langue à des fins de jeux en ligne peut donc s’aligner sur celle de la motivation intrinsèque aux modèles existants concernant l’apprentissage des langues (Ryan & Deci 2000; Wæge 2007). Cette étude s’intéresse à des jeunes français utilisant des jeux en ligne en anglais pour se demander dans quelle mesure le langage et l’environnent des jeux en ligne constituent un moyen accessible d’apprendre l’anglais. Nous nous appuyons sur un sondage en ligne et plusieurs entretiens réalisés auprès d’étudiants de l’Université de Bordeaux qui avaient affirmé avoir amélioré leur anglais à travers l’immersion dans les jeux en ligne. Les résultats montrent que la nature virtuelle des échanges entre les participants a rendu les communicants plus confiants dans leur manière de s’exprimer en anglais (que ce soit dans le contexte des jeux en ligne ou en dehors). De plus, la nature répétitive et le vocabulaire des jeux semblent avoir aidé les participants à apprendre de nouveaux mots et phrases en anglais sans avoir l’impression d’avoir été forcés à les apprendre par cœur. L’aspect immersif des jeux a ainsi donné à ceux dont l’anglais est la deuxième langue la capacité de voyager « virtuellement » hors de leur environnement linguistique familier. |