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Multimodal analysis of language learning in World of Warcraft play: Languaging as Values-realizing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2012

Dongping Zheng ,
Kristi Newgarden  and
Michael F. Young
Dongping Zheng
Affiliation:
Department of Second Language Studies, University of Hawaii, Manoa, 1890 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA (email: zhengd@hawaii.edu)
Kristi Newgarden
Affiliation:
University of Connecticut American English Language Institute (UCAELI), 1 Bishop Circle, U-4056, Storrs, CT 06269-4056, USA (email: kristi.newgarden@uconn.edu)
Michael F. Young
Affiliation:
Educational Psychology Department, Neag School of Education, 249 Glenbrook Rd., Unit 2064, Storrs, CT 06269-2064, USA (email: michael.f.young@uconn.edu)
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Abstract

Applying Communicative Project theory (Linell, 2009), we identify and distinguish between the different coordination and language activities that emerged during an episode of World of Warcraft (WoW) gameplay involving English Language learners (ELLs). We further investigate ELLs’ coordinations between killing and caring, self and others, in which language and action arise. Using multimodal analysis, we found: 1) a diverse tapestry of communicative activities unlikely to match what would be found in a classroom environment; 2) that the values realizing involved in killing (a typical action in WoW) demonstrates a strong covariate tie with caring; and 3) that players’ values realizing is multi-layered, heterarchical and dynamic at a given time and space of situated interaction. We conclude by making suggestions for 1) the design of learning environments based on affordances for coaction and rich communicative activities and 2) the reconceiving of language learning as skilled linguistic action (Cowley, in press) grounded in situated learning and participation in intercultural, technology-mediated L2 networks.

Keywords

English language learningmassively multiplayer online gamesaffordancesagencydialogicalitylanguagingcoactionvalues-realizingskilled linguistic action
Type
Research Article
Information
ReCALL , Volume 24 , Issue 3: Digital games for language learning: challenges and opportunities , September 2012 , pp. 339 - 360
Copyright
Copyright © European Association for Computer Assisted Language Learning 2012

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