LEVEL UP!: Japanese Second Language Acquisition in the Classroom through Video Games

Abstract

This exploratory study investigates the possibilities of utilizing digital gaming in the Japanese second language classroom. Whereas previous research in the field focused on game-enhanced pedagogy for the instruction of second language pragmatics (Sykes 2013) or game-based pedagogy for vocabulary acquisition (Shintaku 2018), this study aimed to utilize a vernacular game-based pedagogy for the development of students’ pragmatic competency. The study’s research questions examine the following: 1) What kinds of learning opportunities do authentic media and target language classroom guests provide for pragmatics instruction? 2) What are some ways educators can provide support for students to play vernacular games in a foreign language classroom? What challenges do vernacular games pose to foreign language instruction? Through a combination of classroom observation, ethnographic notetaking, discourse analysis, and both a sociocultural theoretical lens and activity theoretical framework, the study shows how educators can overcome obstacles that may occur with the incorporation of authentic materials and how to make this kind of curriculum more accessible to students.