ABSTRACT

Vocabulary learning is vital for second language development, and the use of technology has greatly changed how second language vocabulary can be acquired. Some adventure video games were found to be beneficial for vocabulary learning. These games offer engaging plots, rich input, and immersive learning context. Despite these advantages, many games often include difficult vocabulary items and fleeting subtitles. Researchers have suggested that games can be modified to provide a more supportive environment. The purpose of the present study aimed to examine the effect of an adventure game and the game plus L1 keyword glosses on second vocabulary acquisition. Two classes were recruited and took a pre-test, post-test, and two-week delayed post-test and filled out a survey. The results indicated that the control group (i.e. game only) has significantly improved, suggesting that the gaming context alone can assist the incidental vocabulary learning. The experimental group (i.e. game with L1 glosses in the subtitles) significantly performed better in the post-test and delayed post-test. The findings indicated that L1 glosses helped to enhance noticing and to learn new words. It was clear that adventure games have great potentials for vocabulary learning, and additional lexical supports in gaming can further enhance vocabulary learning.

摘要

词汇学习对于第二语言的发展至关重要，技术的使用极大地改变了第二语言词汇的获取方式。人们发现一些冒险视频游戏有利于词汇学习。这些游戏提供引人入胜的情节、丰富的输入和身临其境的学习环境。尽管有这些优点，但许多游戏通常包含困难的词汇项和短暂的字幕。研究人员建议可以修改游戏以提供更具支持性的环境。本研究的目的旨在检验冒险游戏和游戏加 L1 关键词注释对第二词汇习得的影响。招募了两个班级，进行了前测、后测和延迟两周的后测，并填写了调查问卷。结果表明对照组（即 仅游戏）有了显着改善，这表明游戏环境本身就可以帮助附带词汇学习。实验组（即字幕中带有 L1 注释的游戏）在后测和延迟后测中表现明显更好。研究结果表明，L1 注释有助于增强注意力和学习新单词。很明显，冒险游戏在词汇学习方面具有巨大的潜力，游戏中额外的词汇支持可以进一步增强词汇学习。