Компьютерные игры как способ изучения английского языка

Муниципальное общеобразовательное бюджетное учреждение

средняя общеобразовательная школа с. Новое Барятино

муниципального района Стерлитамакский район

Республики Башкортостан

The research paper on topic:

“Computer games as a way to study English”

Done by: the pupil of the 8th form

Absattarova Ilzana

Checked by: E.A. Kholmogortseva

с. Новое Барятино 2017 г.

CONTENT

I. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………3

II. MAIN BODY………………………………………………………………...

1. THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF TYPES AND CLASSIFICATIONS OF COMPUTER GAMES……………………..……………………………5
2. PRACTICAL PART OF THE RESEARCH…………………………….8

III. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………...10

IV. BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………...11

V. APPENDIXES……………………………………………………………..12

INTRODUCTION

It’s not a secret that English is an international language, so it is very important to learn it. The only way of improving English is to use it as often as possible. In school, the only time when English is used is during the lessons. However, there are different ways to improve your English: to read to increase your vocabulary, to listen to spoken English, to talk with English-speaking people. But there is also one unusual way to study English. I mean computer games. I think almost every student plays computer games. They are very popular in the world, especially among teenagers. This research focuses on the potential of video games as a powerful tool for foreign language learning.

The main reason for choosing this topic is that many people play computer games, and we want to prove, that it’s not just a waste of time, but a very useful occupation.

 The object of the research: computer games.

The subject of the research: the efficiency of computer games in studying English.

The aim of the research: to prove that computer games can improve English knowledge. 

The objectives:

• Collect theoretical material about computer games.
• Analyze the existing categorizations of computer games.
• Define the best educative games.
• Perform the research among foreign students, who also study English, as the second language.

The hypothesis: if we’ll play computer games we can widen our vocabulary and improve our English.

Methods of research:

• methods of analysis of the information sources and references;
• critical study of scientific literature;
• description;
• comparison;

Structure of the research: This research paper consists of introduction, two parts, conclusion, references and bibliography.

In the first part theoretical aspects of types and classifications of computer games are considered.

In the second part there is a practical research of foreign students, who study English as the second language.

THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF TYPES AND CLASSIFICATIONS OF COMPUTER GAMES.

PC games, also known as computer games or personal computer games, are video games played on a personal computer rather than a dedicated video game console or arcade machine.^[1] Video games have huge educational potential. Not only they teach us high concentration, teamwork and multitude of problem-solving skills, they also make us use English because that’s the language they are made in.^[2] A necessity to understand what to do in the game world can make us study English. Fighting games enrich our vocabulary with names of various garments and weapons, while epic games and world simulators show us phrases used on standard conversations as well as the accent, pitch and tempo they are said with. Video games are a great way to teach English to kids, but they may be useful to you even if you are an adult. And, of course, there’s a multiplayer, where you can hear British, Australian, Canadian and American English from different players.^[3] 

Video games are fun. They are very entertaining. If you are able to immerse yourself in the digital world of a video game, learning the language will not only become easier, it will also become more enjoyable. If you watch movies, you are not interacting with the characters on the screen. If you play video games, on the other hand, you are forced to interact and respond to the verbal information that is being presented to you. Better yet, a video game gives you instant feedback: you will not be able to progress through missions or levels without being able to navigate the language. Video games are a form of interactive and engaging

authentic materials currently receiving much attention from educators.^[4]

Playing video games also helps you to develop a variety of different skills not necessarily associated with learning English. For example, video games have been shown to increase your decision making speed and refine your motor skills. Are you interested in becoming a surgeon? A study at Iowa State University found that surgeons who played video games were over 25% faster in their surgeries and made 30% less mistakes.^[5]

What types of video games are there in the world?

Nowadays, there is a wide variety of games to choose from, and it’s impossible to mention all the games ever created which could be considered as good games for learning languages, but let’s have a look at this list:

 Interactive Movies:

Generally, this type of games is the best one if you want to acquire more colloquial vocabulary. If you like the TV series “Games of Thrones” or “The Walking Dead” for example, there are games in which you get to play with their characters; you have to answer the dialogues or take decisions which will influence the story.

Horror and Survival games:

Do you like horror and survival movies? Then you’ll love “Amnesia the dark descent”. There isn’t a lot of talking going on in it, so it is better for beginners. A good survival game is “Don’t Starve”, it has very little vocabulary but is great for learning basic words.

Fantasy games:

If you like fantasy games, you could play “Mass effect”, “Star wars “ or “The Lord of The Ring” . You will love these games as they are really well developed, and you will find rare characters with superpowers and fantastic scenarios, among other things. The best thing about this type of games is their dialogues with rich vocabulary.

Strategy games:

If you prefer strategy games, which require you to think before acting, you’ll like “Command and Conquer” and “Supreme Commander”. Their dialogues are elaborated and the games are very well done. There are also puzzle-like games you might like, but dialogues there aren’t so rich.

War games:

Do you have a passion for thinking and precision? Then “Arma 2” and “Call of Duty” are the games for you! You could join an online team and play with and against real players all while practicing languages. Also, you could communicate with other players by speaking with a microphone, as some games include software for oral communication. The vocabulary is rather limited, but it is a good place to start for a beginner or to improve on your oral skills.

Role-Playing Games:

If you like to be the heart and soul of your character and want to live what it lives, you’ll like role-playing games. They deepen you to the story. You should know that this type of game can create a bit of addiction. These are: “Dungeons and Dragons”, “World of Warcraft” and so on. They are great games for learning languages. You have to write everything your character does and says, so it can be a bit too hard for beginners. 

As you can see, there is a great amount of games, you should choose the one, you most interested in. Thus you will study and enjoy at the same time.

PRACTICAL PART OF THE RESEARCH

In order to confirm theoretical positions of this paper the practical research was made among students, learning English as foreign language. Selected participants answered a questionnaire about the role of videogames in learning language. To collect all the necessary information, a questionnaire was published in the group of social network in “Facebook”. 49 students took part in it. (See Appendix 1)

The questionnaire consisted of 7 questions. In this part, all results will be presented.

1) Do you like playing computer games? (See Appendix 1)

45 persons out of 49 answered that they like playing computer games.

2) Is it fun for you? (See Appendix 2)

44 persons find computer games really entertaining.

3) How much time do you spend playing computer games? (See Appendix 2)

All the students had different views on this question. 16 persons out of 48 spend 1 hour a day playing computer games, 17 persons spend 2-3 hours a day and 13 persons spend 3-4 hours a day. As you can see people spend a lot of time in front of the computer.

4) Do you communicate in English with other characters while playing computer games? (See Appendix 3)

This question is very important, it shows the interaction between players. Can video games be considered as educational tool or not?

43 persons out of 49 confirmed this information.

5) Have you learned some new English words while playing computer games?   (See Appendix 3)

44 people answered positively, because they have to look into the dictionary and find the translation of the unknown words, so they can have a clear view of the game.

6) Can you accomplish the mission of the game without knowledge of English? (See Appendix 4)

35students admitted that it was hard to make progress in game without good knowledge of English, but 12 of them told it was still possible to do at random.

7) Can you tell that computer games can help people to learn English? (See Appendix 4)

45 students out of 49 believed that it’s possible to improve your English using computer games as educational tool.

In these data most of the students claim that they can widen their knowledge of English using videogames. It is a new modern approach but it can be also very effective for vocabulary acquisition and the subconscious learning of pronunciation.

CONCLUSION

Language learning is a never ending process which requires a great effort. Games can be a stimulating tool and encourage many learners to be interested in language learning. Video games can be used to improve English. They also keep the students interest in their stories. The pronunciation, speaking and listening abilities of the students who play video games improves faster than those who do not play. This  work  demonstrates  a possibility  that  language  learning  can  be  supported  by video games. Computer games provide a window onto the world, a resource that can and should be used for learning.

In this paper all objectives of research are followed: we collected the theoretical material about computer games, analyzed the existing categorizations of computer games, defined the best educative games and performed the research among foreign students, who also study English, as the second language.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. D.M. Brinton, “The Use of Media in Language Teaching,” in M. Celce,-Murcia (Ed.), Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language, Heinle & Heinle, Boston, 2001.

2. M. M. Hu and B. Chang, “Massively Multiplayer Online Game Supported Foreign Language Listening Ability Training,” Digital Game and Intelligent Toy Enhanced Learning, 2007, DIGITEL ’07, The First IEEE International Workshop on, 176-178.

3. Kirriemuir, J  &  A.  McFarlane, “Literature  Review  in Games and Learning,” Futurelab, Bristol, 2004.

4. Sandford, R., Ulicsak, M., Facer, K. & T. Rudd, Teaching with games: Using commercial off-the-shelf computer games in formal education. Futurelab, Bristol, 2006.

5. J.P. Gee, What Video Games Have to Teach us About Learning and Literacy, Macmillan, Hampshire, 2003.

6. LRNGO ESL EFL User Posts, Learning English with Video Games, Merle Boon, 2014-07-28

7. https://speechyard.com/english-blog/ways_to_learn_english_efficiently/

8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_game

APPENDIX 1

Facebook:

Question 1:

APPENDIX 2

Question 2:

Question 3:

APPENDIX 3

Question 4:

Question 5:

APPENDIX 4

Question 6:

Question 7: