Exploring the Influence of MMORPG in English Language Performance: Relating Game Features and Incidental Vocabulary Learning

Abstract

The widespread of digital games presents valuable opportunities for incidental vocabulary learning (IVL), where players encounter and process language content during online gameplay. The recently published Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) further enhances the opportunity for IVL due to their rich narrative environments, interactive design, and exposure of players to authentic lexical input within meaningful contexts. In tandem with this development, this study seeks to explore how the game features of MMORPGs impact ESL learners’ IVL during gameplay sessions, as well as their overall English language proficiency test performance. A total of 16 ESL game players who have experience playing online games were recruited for the study. The participants were required to play Lost Ark for 60 hours, and their interactions during the gameplay sessions were video recorded. The participants were interviewed, and the sessions were audio recorded. The findings from the interviews revealed that (1) the narrative nature of the game’s storyline in the MMORPG promotes ESL learners’ IVL, and (2) the in-game cutscenes motivate ESL learners to engage in IVL. These findings suggest that the game features in MMORPGs could influence ESL learners’ mastery of English language, whereby they act as a catalyst to enable ESL learners to experience IVL during gameplay.