Game-Based Learning in Improving English Vocabulary and Detecting Metacognitive Awareness Among English for Specific Purposes Undergraduates

Abstract

The happening of the Covid-19 pandemic has shifted learning from physical lessons to online lessons. In higher education institutions, while English for Specific Purposes is a subject offered to teach English language relevant to the undergraduate's future profession, many undergraduates possess poor proficiency in terms of English vocabulary. Further, metacognitive awareness among undergraduates is seemingly worrying as they lack the competency to think critically. Addressing the problems, this research aims at determining if game-based learning specifically The Sims 4 has an effect on undergraduates' acquisition of English vocabulary and metacognitive awareness. Recruiting 65 undergraduates from a private higher education institution in Sungai Long in the state of Selangor, Malaysia, a quantitative experimental research design comprising of The Sims 4, vocabulary test, and the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory is used. Findings show that the experimental group has shown significant improvement in English vocabulary and greater metacognitive awareness from the instruments administered. As English for Specific Purposes is an important subject to develop undergraduates' communicative competency, various stakeholders with the results of this research are recommended to introduce game-based learning as a way to learn vocabulary and sharpen undergraduates' metacognitive awareness to be competent graduates capable of serving the workforce in the future.