Teacher perspective of collaborative game elements on language acquisition

Abdullah, Berivan and Dabney-Fekete, Ilona Dóra and Ceglédi, Tímea (2025) Teacher perspective of collaborative game elements on language acquisition. International Journal of Serious Games. (In Press)

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Abstract

In English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms worldwide, games have gained widespread recognition as valuable pedagogical tools. However, research often concentrates on specific game rules and elements and neglects the rest. For instance, overemphasizing competitive game elements excludes valuable insight that could be gained from other elements (e.g., collaborative games). This comparative study aimed to investigate how various game elements influence students' language acquisition across two distinct educational contexts, focusing on teachers' perspectives. Group interviews were conducted with ISCED-2 EFL teachers in the Kurdistan Region and Hungary. The study explored: (1) How do various game elements influence students' language acquisition? (2) What characterizes a learning environment that uses collaborative language games? (3) What challenges do teachers face when implementing language games, and (4) what support do they find most helpful? The results indicate that in both contexts, the collaborative game element greatly impacts students' language learning and is perceived as a significant contribution to language acquisition. Both groups identified time management, lack of materials, and game selection as challenges. They also acknowledged the need for school-provided materials and support. This study highlights underexplored contexts and the 2 International Journal of Serious Games I Volume XXXX, Issue XXXX, XXXX 2023 need to emphasize collaboration over competition, offering insights for Kurdish and Hungarian educators.

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