INVESTIGATING THE INTEGRATION OF THE SIMS 3 IN AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION CONTEXT: A CASE STUDY AT A VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL

Date

2023-9-22

Author

Kuru, Burkay

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Digital games are known to be integrated into language learning settings as they can innovate the learning process with their distinctive advantages which fulfill contemporary needs of students born into the 21st century. This qualitative study was conducted to analyze perceptions of high school students towards the utilization of a life simulation game called The Sims 3 as an innovative tool in their regular English clasess. The present study also aimed at exploring the perceieved changes in motivation and language attitude of the participants. This case study was conducted in a vocational and technical high school in Turkey. Semi-structured interviews, stimulated recall interview and researcher’s fields notes were utilized to gather data. It was revealed that the participants had positive perceptions regarding the integration of The Sims 3 into their regular English lessons. Their perceptions are categorized under two themes. The first theme is associated with the high level of fun the participants had while completing the activities based on The Sims 3 due to the embedded features of the game such as exploration, creativity and freedom. The second theme is about the the game’s positive impact on their various language skills from speaking to grammar due to the language-based nature of the game. The results also revealed that the participants had improvement in their perceived motivation levels and their attitude towards English lessons while engaging with the game and its activities thanks to the game’s positive aspects which encourage cooperation, competition and eagerness in participation.

Subject Keywords

The Sims 3, Digital game-based learning, Simulation Games in English Language Learning, Innovation in English Language Learning

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/105290

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis