Simulation/Gaming and the Acquisition of Communicative Competence in Another Language

Abstract

For more than three decades, researchers and practitioners in the field of English as a foreign language have faced the issue of communicative competence as a goal in language acquisition and how to reach this goal. In this article, the authors address the issue from the point of view of a theoretical and practical meshing of simulation and gaming methodology with theories of foreign language acquisition, including task-based learning, interaction, and comprehensible input, showing how simulation and gaming can be used in those phases of language acquisition in which formal instruction has proved less ineffectual. The objective of this article is to describe the close relationship between the acquisition of foreign language competence and its components and experiential learning through simulation and gaming, with specific reference to two experiments in this area.

Is video-case an efficient tool to complement the practical learning in real contexts? Effects on satisfaction and performance in Social Work Degree students

“…They also considered that it involves a reduction of time employed to learn. This set of data confirmed the boundaries of audiovisual material founded in relevant studies into the field of information technologies (e.g., García-Carbonell, et al, 2001;Kendon, 2004;Thorne & Reinhardt, 2008;Zheng, Young, & Wagner, 2009in Masats & Dooly, 2011. The key knowledge that emerges from our results is the specification of what content and what kind of processes could be better taught and learned through videos.…”

“…However, we consider -as well as other authors cited before-, that these methods will be educational to the extent that are evaluated, selected and integrated by the lecturer in a specific educational context (Knight & Wood, 2005). Increasingly, researchers underline the mediating role of communicative practices based on technological mediation (García-Carbonell, Rising, Montero, & Watts, 2001;Kendon, 2004;Thorne & Reinhardt, 2008;Zheng, Young, & Wagner, 2009in Masats & Dooly, 2011. Previous investigations have found the following benefits from the audiovisual learning: (1) it reduces the time involved in the acquisition and understanding of the information (Eze, 2013); (2) it stimulates interest and promotes attention processes; (3) it transmits the information in a simple, pleasant manner and with little effort by the receptor; (4) it stimulates the ability to synthesize and to establish relationships among information; (5) it encourages participation (Natoli, 2011) and actions of advanced education; (6) it reinforces and expands the curriculum through the group work and the feedback; (7) it makes learning permanent because it audiovisual allows students to visualize what is learned (Dike, 1993).…”

Simulación telemática como experiencia de aprendizaje de la lengua inglesa

“…El aprendizaje basado en tareas que postula la metodología de la simulación y juego (García-Carbonell et al 2001c) hace hincapié en la ejecución de tareas en lugar de en la enseñanza explícita de determinadas estructuras gramaticales, dado que a los participantes se les proporciona contextos de aprendizaje que precisan de una comunicación inteligible a través de la cual poner en práctica su competencia gramatical. Al mismo tiempo, con esta metodología se produce un alejamiento de la clase magistral no participativa, los estudiantes se involucran más y son más activos.…”

Web 2.0, Synthetic Immersive Environments, and Mobile Resources for Language Education

“…The commercial endeavors in this context form a billion dollar empire and engage participants from all over the world. Recently, educational researchers have begun to assess these interactional spaces and gaming models as beneficial for learning (e.g., de Freitas, 2006;Gee, 2003Gee, , 2005Jenkins & Squire, 2004;National Summit on Educational Gaming, 2005;Prensky, 2001;Steinkuelher, 2004Steinkuelher, , 2007, and, more specifically, for achieving communicative and intercultural competence (e.g., Bryant, 2006;García-Carbonell, Montero, Rising, & Watts, 2001;Thorne, 2008c;Thorne & Black, 2007. Mediated experiences in different online social and gaming worlds allow users to experiment and interact with a wide variety of norms of communication and social interaction (e.g., Steinkuehler, 2006).…”