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Digital Game-Based Language Learning (DGBL): An Analysis of Polish and Spanish Teacher Candidates’ Knowledge and Attitudes

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Belda-Medina J., Poveda-Balbuena M. L.

Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition

2024

vol. 10

issue 2

1-25

The digital gaming industry is experiencing rapid growth and presents significant potential for implementation in educational contexts. Despite a significant body of literature on Digital Game-Based Language Learning (DGBL), the focus has primarily been on students as game players rather than on teacher candidates as future educators. This study aimed to examine the attitudes and knowledge of 205 teacher candidates from Poland (n = 79) and Spain (n = 126) regarding digital games’ potential for foreign language learning. Convenience sampling was used, and a mixed-method approach was taken to collect quantitative and qualitative data via pre-post surveys, digital game presentations, and class discussions. Participants undertook various DGBL activities and were grouped into teams to choose games for language learning, create infographics, and share their insights in a collaborative learning environment. Statistical analysis indicated differences in the first-time technology access and gameplay frequency between the Polish and Spanish cohorts. The Wilcoxon-signed rank test revealed a significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) in two of the five scale dimensions: usefulness (U) and preference for digital games (PDG). The findings suggest that while teacher candidates hold a positive view of DGBL’s potential, they lack practical knowledge of its implementation in the language classroom.

Primary School Teacher Candidates’ Reflective Essays on the Categories That They Find Problematic When Teaching English at Primary Schools in Sweden

88%

Kapranov O.

Studie z aplikované lingvistiky - Studies in Applied Linguistics

2018

vol. 9

issue 1

23-37

This article comprises a mixed-methods study of primary school teacher candidates’ (henceforth participants) reflections associated with the categories that they find problematic when teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at primary schools in Sweden. In this study, the participants are instructed to reflect on problematic areas of teaching EFL to young learners at Swedish primary schools and present their ideas in the form of reflective essays written in the English language. The reflective essays are written after the participants have completed their school practice sessions, having taught EFL to the Years 4–6 at primary schools in Sweden. The participants’ reflective essays are analysed by means of the software program WordSmith (Scott, 2012) in order to generate a list of the most frequently used words. A qualitative component of the analysis involves the identification of a set of categories associated with the problematic areas of EFL teaching in the Years 4–6 at primary schools in Sweden. The results of the mixed-methods analysis reveal several problem areas, e.g. pronunciation, spelling, irregular verbs, adjectives, articles, vocabulary, prepositions, etc. These findings and their didactic implications for EFL teaching in the Years 4–6 at primary schools are further presented and discussed in the article.

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1 Studie z aplikované lingvistiky - Studies in Applied Linguistics

1 Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition

1 Belda-Medina J.

1 Kapranov O.

1 Poveda-Balbuena M. L.

1 2024

1 2018

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Digital Game-Based Language Learning (DGBL): An Analysis of Polish and Spanish Teacher Candidates’ Knowledge and Attitudes

Primary School Teacher Candidates’ Reflective Essays on the Categories That They Find Problematic When Teaching English at Primary Schools in Sweden