THE OPPORTUNITY OF INTRODUCING SERIOUS GAMES IN TEACHING ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES - A STUDY CASE ON PLAYING “SIMPLYCYCLE” SERIOUS GAME

Abstract

In the last few years serious games (either digital games or board games) started to be used extensively in several developed universities due to the safe environment in which the future specialists could exercise different scenarios specific to their field of study. Teachers included them into their classes not only because serious games can provide the students with the necessary knowledge and skills for their future jobs, but also because the games could also contribute to the improvement of other skills related to communication, critical thinking, problem solving, creativity and innovation that are so much requested today on the labour market. The present study has in view the opportunity and attractiveness of introducing the serious games in the toolbox of the English teachers when introducing and practicing English for specific purposes. The study is based on the application of a questionnaire that measures the attractiveness among students to learn English for Environmental Sciences by playing a board serious game named Simplycycle. The game has been played by more than 100 students organized in teams of five students with different levels of knowledge (beginners, intermediates and advanced).The data provided by the questionnaires showed that the students presented a high degree of involvement while playing the game, a high interest in playing other serious games and that the tested serious game was used successfully even in multi-level teams.