Videogaming and Exploring EFL Students´ Literacy Practices in Warcraft: A Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG)

Abstract

This paper aims to review a research experience of an after-school context that adopts World of Warcraft, a popular MMOG, for English language learning. Through game-play inside World of Warcraft students performed different language challenges inside the virtual world. Observation, the collection of participants´ artifacts and interviews were used to collect data about the literacy practices that emerged when video gaming and the effects on literacy skill development with learning English as a foreign language. The results of the research show that students engage in two categories of EFL literacy practices: literacy practices inside the game and literacy practices beyond the game. The conclusion can also be drawn that students learned language determined by the engagement in multiliteracies. Finally, these research results unveils in higher details if the idea of using virtual worlds will fulfill the requirements of the 21st century education.