Evaluation of video games in boosting students' English speaking and listening skills at FPT University

Abstract

Video games are usually viewed negatively by many people, especially parents and adults. Recently, everything has changed to become more relevant to the new age of 4.0 technology. There have been many studies indicating that video games are used not only for entertaining but also for educational purposes. There has been evidence that video games bring benefits to communication and education. As English is the main language in most video games, this type of game is also believed to be beneficial for EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners. Although video games are played widely now, there is a lack of studies of video games as a tool to support gamers’ English speaking and listening skills. This study investigated the role of video games in boosting students' English speaking and listening skills at a university in Vietnam – FPT University. The study used mixed methods to analyze survey and interview data. Surveys and interviews were sent to students to gather information about their point of view on the research topic. The purpose of the current study was to reveal the benefits, roles, relationships, and difficulties of video games in improving students' English listening and speaking skills. Additionally, the study focused on how students improved their speaking and listening skills by playing video games. Their attitudes when playing video games to enhance their English speaking and listening skills were also investigated. The factors that made video games a tool to promote English speaking and listening skills were also indicated in the study findings. The study provided readers with a better understanding and more positive acknowledgment toward video games. Last but not least, the relationships between video games and learning English skills (speaking and listening) perceived by both EFL teachers and students were also revealed.