Conclusions and Future Directions

Abstract

A central aim of this book has been to answer the following question: Is participation in computer gaming beneficial for language learners? As the critical investigation carried out in the previous chapters demonstrates, the bulk of existing research indicates that many types of computer games represent viable tools for CALL, and that participation in gaming appears beneficial with regard to certain aspects of language learning. The analysis of research and the findings of the case study reported earlier in this discussion draw attention to a number of benefits identified repeatedly in the literature involving the majority of game types. Researchers emphasize the positive effects of exposure to the TL and new vocabulary in projects involving commercial and purpose-built games in both institutional and informal out-of-school settings (Cheung and Harrison 1992; deHaan 2005; Johns and Wang 1999; G. Jones 1986; Palmberg 1988; Piirainen-Marsh and Tainio 2009; Miller and Hegelheimer 2006; Ranalli 2008; Rankin, Gold, and Gooch 2006). The opportunities to develop reading, writing, and conversation skills are widely perceived as beneficial (Coleman 2002; Higgins, Lawrie, and White 1999; Johns and Wang 1999; Legenhausen and Wolff 1990; Piper 1986). In the case of network-based games that provide for real-time interaction such as, for example, MMORPGs, and MUVEs that incorporate games, research indicates that the opportunities for purposeful and authentic communication with native speakers and peers offers a number of benefits.