The Value of Digital Games in Language Learning – What the Research Tells Us and Pathways Forward

Research on the application of video games in foreign language education is relatively new and remains a peripheral issue: the authors of the most recent research review point to the fact that among hundreds of papers discussing computer-assisted language learning (CALL) published in international journals in the last fifteen years, only 26 studies focus on the use of digital games in foreign language learning. There are, however, many arguments which seem to support the idea that video games are a promising field of research. The findings of numerous studies clearly suggest that digital games have considerable educational potential. In the present article, I will provide a literature review on digital games in language learning and teaching and try to discuss potential advantages that video games can offer in the didactic context.