GAMES IN LANGUAGE LEARNING: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

There has been a substantial increase in recent years in the interest in using digital games for language learning. This coincides with the explosive growth in multiplayer online gaming and with the proliferation of mobile games for smart phones. It also reflects the growing recognition among educators of the importance of extramural, informal learning and the interest in finding ways to connect learning to students' real lives. Given the important role that gaming currently plays in the everyday lives of adolescents and young adults in developed countries, this spike in interest is not surprising. However, there are a number of practical and pedagogical obstacles in the way of incorporating gaming into instructed language learning. Among those issues are: what kind of games to choose or to create; how to find the opportunities for language learning within gameplay; and how to integrate gameplay and its associated activities into the curriculum. In order to address these issues, we need research-generated data, which is crucial not only for learning how to make gaming more effective in classroom practice, but also in informing future game development. Collecting, analyzing, and sharing data collected from digital games is a major challenge, but some recent technical developments may present new opportunities. This column will not provide answers to the complex set of issues raised in the integration of gaming into language learning, but will identify and discuss some recent developments and point to possible future directions. (C) Robert Godwin-Jones