1. How to Use Video Games
as Interactive Texts for
Language Learning
Chris Hill – The Ohio State University
hill.880@osu.edu – @eslchill
slideshare.net/eslchill – esltechnology.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67122123@N00/5604998034/

2. Have you used these in your classroom?
• books
• magazine articles
• movies
• television
• music
• video games

3. What texts do you use? Some numbers:
Texts Then Now
books $23.7 in 20041 $27.9B in 20106
movies $8.125B in 20012 $10.5B in 20107
music $38B in 20003 $17B in 20103
video games $10.3B in 20044 $29.5B in 20118
($50M in 19785)

4. References
1. http://booksahead.com/?page_id=129
2. http://grabstats.com/statcategorymain.asp?StatCatID=32
3. http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/annual-music-biz-sales-fall-21bn-in-ten-
years/09795
4.
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/may2006/id20060511_715050.
htm
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_industry
6. http://www.publishers.org/bookstats/highlights/
7. http://www.the-numbers.com/market/
8. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/06/06/us-videogames-factbox-
idUKTRE75552I20110606

5. http://www.flickr.com/photos/97333581@N00/32050241/

6. Interactive
Texts?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97333581@N00/32050241/

7. http://www.flickr.com/photos/99793566@N00/1130954795/

8. Interactive
Texts!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99793566@N00/1130954795/

9. Games as a source of English
MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role
Playing Games) can provide a rich source of
English (and other languages).
Students can interact with other players in the
target language.
Examples:
World of Warcraft.com
Second Life.com

10. World of Warcraft
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99793566@N00/1130954795/

11. Second Life
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14511589@N08/1484166963/

12. Contribute to documentation
WoWwiki.com is second largest wiki after
Wikipedia.
Other games have wikis, message boards,
walkthroughs. Learners can read and write
them.

13. WoW Wiki

14. Texts to be reviewed
• book reviews
• movie reviews
• video game reviews?
(The Columbus Dispatch includes video game
reviews in the entertainment section beside
book and movie reviews.)

15. Analysis
How accurately do games and simulations
reflect the real world? Is the author’s point of
view reflected in the game?
Examples:
iCivics.org
energyville.com
mcvideogame.com

16. iCivics.org
http://www.icivics.org/games/win-white-house

17. Energyville.com
http://www.energyville.com/energyville/

18. McVideoGame.com
http://www.mcvideogame.com/game-eng.html

19. Groupwork, problem solving
• Have students solve problems collaboratively
(works great on an interactive whiteboard!)

20. Eyezmaze.com

21. amanita-design.net/samorost-2

22. Design and Create Games
• Challenge students to work together
• Inform7.com
create your own interactive fiction
• ARIS games.org
platform for creating and playing mobile games
• Kodu
3D game engine by Microsoft

23. Inform7.com
http://inform7.com/learn/eg/bronze/index.html

24. ArisGames.org
http://arisgames.org/featured/mentira/

25. fuse.microsoft.com/kodu

26. Learners can:
• use games as a rich source of English
• learn from and contribute to online
documentation
• review games like any other texts
• analyze the accuracy of games and simulations
• work in groups to solve games
• design and create games

27. How to Use Video Games
as Interactive Texts for
Language Learning
Chris Hill – The Ohio State University
hill.880@osu.edu – @eslchill
slideshare.net/eslchill – esltechnology.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67122123@N00/5604998034/