Theoretical Foundations of Game-Based Second and Foreign Language Learning: A Selective Review of Recent Literature

• In Event: Instruction and Language Learning

Abstract

Game-based learning (GBL) encompasses a wide range of efforts to redesign learning experiences through gameplay. Game-based second and foreign language (GBL2) learning focuses on how games play a role in L2 education. This study was an initial investigation of the theoretical foundations informing GBL2 research in recent scholarship. Thirty publications from 2010 to 2020 were reviewed, revealing: (a) 22 of 30 publications explicitly identified theoretical foundations for GBL2; (b) the most commonly cited theoretical foundations were cognitive (7 articles) and sociocultural (7 articles) and (c) few publications utilized motivational or affective theories. These findings suggest a need for more consistent attention to theoretical foundations in GBL2 scholarship, and further investigation of how dominant theoretical perspectives shape broader understandings of GBL2.

Authors

• Yuchan (Blanche) Gao, Arizona State University - Tempe

• Elisabeth R. Gee, Arizona State University