The Role of Games in Enhancing EFL Students' Vocabulary Acquisition Wagdi Rashad Ali Bin-Hady

Abstract

The aim of this paper review is to explore the advantages of (digital) games for developing EFL students' vocabulary acquisition. Moreover, this review discusses some of the most widely games used to enhance students' vocabulary acquisition and introduces them to EFL instructors so they can be widely used in their classroom teaching practices. The present review also explores the essential classroom procedures needed for incorporating games in the classroom teaching. It is found that games make lessons' enjoyable to students, minimize students' anxiety, help students recall vocabulary easily and naturally, and bring context to the classroom. The review also revealed that games such as The Sims, and Semantic Boggle are amongst the most widely used games for vocabulary retention. Teachers are advised to use the suitable vocabulary games for teaching vocabulary and link the games with the course content. The present paper review recommends the inclusion of games in English curriculum and classroom teachings.