The Effectiveness of Video Games for Learning and Teaching English Language Among School-Age Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70152/leotech.v2i2.310Keywords:
Video game , Language learning, English as a foreign language, Digital learning, Language skillArticle Metrics
Abstract
This study discusses the effectiveness of video games in learning and teaching English to young learners through an extensive review of literature and meta-analysis on published research papers from 2009 to 2025. The results reveal the effectiveness of video games in promoting vocabulary, communicative, and confidence domains, with gamers performing better in language games in comparison to non-gamers. There was, however, little to no difference in formal academic achievement, English GPA. The effectiveness of learning through video games depends on the genre, with narrative-based video games proven to be an essential element in vocabulary development and multiplayer video games in speech development. The implications of this research indicate that video games, if properly integrated into structured digital game-based language learning platforms, can act as an additional teaching supplement.
Downloads
References
Al-Jamili, O., Al-Qassabi, A., & Al-Saqri, H. (2024). Evaluating the efficacy of computer games-based learning intervention in enhancing English speaking proficiency. Heliyon, 10(16), e36440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36440
Alibakhshi, G., Zarei, M. A., & Labbafi, A. (2025). Digital video games and language learners’ vocabulary learning, motivation, and engagement: Teachers’ perceptions of types and effectiveness. Computer-Assisted Language Learning Electronic Journal, 26(1), 94–113. https://doi.org/10.54855/callej.252616
Annetta, L. A. (2008). Video games in education: Why they should be used and how they are being used. Theory Into Practice, 47(3), 229–239. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405840802153940
Ducheneaut, N., & Moore, R. J. (2004). The social side of gaming: A study of interaction patterns in a massively multiplayer online game. Angles: New Perspectives on the Anglophone World.
Eklöf, R. (2024). Exploring the impact of video games on English language skills: A criteria-based material analysis on how gaming can be incorporated into a task-based language learning approach (Bachelor’s thesis). Örebro University. https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-114845
Games, A., & Kane, L. (2011). Exploring adolescents’ STEM learning through scaffolded game design. In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games (pp. 1–8). https://doi.org/10.1145/2159365.2159366
Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. Palgrave Macmillan.
Guo, S.-C. (2025). Using role-playing games to foster language proficiency and emotional competence. In EDULEARN25 Proceedings (pp. 2451–2457). https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2025.0678
Hafiza, A. F., & Pratolo, B. W. (2024). A systematic review of the effectiveness of game-based learning in English language teaching. International Journal of Education and Learning, 6(2), 56–64. https://doi.org/10.31763/ijele.v6i2.1312
Krashen, S. D. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Pergamon Press.
Kurniawan, L. D., Usuluddin, U., Maysuroh, S., & Prasetyaningrum, A. (2024). The effectiveness of educational games in enhancing English vocabulary for beginners. Innovative: Journal of Social Science Research, 4(5), 863–876. https://doi.org/10.31004/innovative.v4i5.13626
Nation, I. S. P. (2015). Learning vocabulary in another language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Nuriyah, R. R., Sisfiamuhsha, A. T., Aulia, I. M., & Fahriany. (2024). The influence of Genshin Impact on students’ English vocabulary acquisition. Onoma, 10(1).
Peake, J., & Reynolds, A. (2020). “There’s a sniper on that hill!”: Gaming in English as a global language environment. Angles, 11. https://doi.org/10.4000/angles.3237
Prastiwi, F. D., & Lestari, T. D. (2025). Digital game-based learning in enhancing English vocabulary: A systematic literature review. Jurnal Penelitian Ilmu Pendidikan Indonesia, 4(2), 349–358. https://doi.org/10.31004/jpion.v4i2.382
Prot, S., McDonald, K. A., Anderson, C. A., & Gentile, D. A. (2012). Video games. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 59(3), 647–658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2012.03.016
Reinhardt, J. (2019). Gameful second and foreign language teaching and learning: Theory, research, and practice. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04729-0
Rudis, D., & Poštić, S. (2018). Influence of video games on the acquisition of the English language. Verbum, 8, 112–128. https://doi.org/10.15388/Verb.2017.8.11354
Sundqvist, P., & Sylvén, L. K. (2016). Extramural English in teaching and learning. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-46048-6
Vnucko, G., Kovačević, M., & Horvat, M. (2024). Exploring the relationship between digital gaming, language attitudes, and academic success in EFL university students. Heliyon, 10(13), e33301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33301
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Alfaro Electra Bimantara Putra

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright for this article is held by the journal LEOTECH: Journal of Learning Education and Technology and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). The article may be used, shared, and adapted for any purpose with proper attribution and distribution under the same license. Full license details: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/








