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Informal Learning of English via Online Games

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Informal Learning of English via Online Games
Informal Learning Of English Via Online Games

Noor Azwa Mohamed Ozir
General Studies Department, Ungku Omar Polytechnic

Abstract : Computer games as a leisure activity have become an ever-increasing part of many young people’s day-to-day lives (Griffiths & Davis, 2005). Krasilovsky (2006) claimed that young learners tend to ‘favor “edutainment” applications-academics-oriented games’. Wood (2001) investigated the use of learning games as a learning tool and concluded that game-like formats could be more effective at capturing learners’ attention than traditional media such as textbooks (cited in Florence W. M. Yip and Alvin C. M. Kwan, 2006). In accordance with reported statistics, online computer gaming is the preferred pastime of many people worldwide. What impact does gaming have in general on people, and more important is how can we as teachers take note of the knowledge and experience that is collected through online computer gaming? The aim of this paper is to explore the view towards online games and how they can contribute to enrich the vocabulary of English Language in an informal learning. Data was collected from an interview with seven online game players who were playing at various cyber cafes. Apart from being a source of entertainment, the players considered online games to be an educational resource with regard to English vocabulary and general communication skills. It is hoped that this study will contribute in raising the awareness of online gaming as a tool for informal learning and can give ideas to teachers of English Language in triggering the correct source via online games to enrich the students vocabulary.

Keywords : informal learning, english, vocabulary, online games, educational resources.

1. INTRODUCTION

Online games are one type of entertainment oriented and Internet-based Information Technology (IT) sources. With the rapid diffusion of broadband Internet services and high-end graphic cards for



References: A Krotoski .Online Games, Offline Selves. Diss. University of Surrey, 2004. Burn, Andrew & Durran, James (2007). Media Literacy in school – practice, production and progression of Other Languages." Simulation and Gaming 30(Sep. 1999): 283-91. Gee, James Paul (2004 and 2007).What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning And Literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan Hatch, J Hylén, Jan, Digitala Lärarresurser, PDF. Myndigheten för skolutveckling, 2007. Article used: June 11, 2008. John Kirriemuir, D-Lib Magazine December, 2005 .Online Games and Digital Information Services, Volume 11 Number 12. KH Kim, JY Park, DY Kim, HI Moon, HC Chun . E-Lifestyle And Motives To Use On-Line Games .Irish Marketing Review, 2002 - Mercury Publications Kirriemuir, J and McFarlane, A (2003). Literature Review in Games and Learning. Bristol: Futurelab Linderoth, Jonas & Bennerstedt, Ulrika, Living in World of Warcraft - the thoughts and experiences of ten young people, PDF. The Media Council, www.mediaradet.se 2008.Article used: June 11, 2008 Nielson Netratings, 2004 Norman, Donald A. (1988) .The psychology of everyday things. New York, NY, US: Basic Books. Sefton-Green, J (2004). Style, genre and technology: the strange case of youth culture online, in: Snyder, I and Beavis, C (eds) Doing Literacy Online Shih, Y.-C., & Yang, M.-T. (2008). A Collaborative Virtual Environment for Situated Language Learning Using VEC3D Smith, Mark K., Informal Learning, Encyclopedia of Informal Learning, http://www.infed.org, 1999. Article used: June 11, 2008 Steinkhuehler, C International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS), Los Angeles CA. 2004.

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