Enjoyment, engagement, and success in children’s digital EFL games

Abstract Game-based language learning can be enjoyable and effective for young learners, but it is not clear that enjoyment precipitates effectiveness. We investigated the relationships between engagement and success in game-based language learning for young language learners. This study reports data from 125 Spanish/Catalan 11- to 12-year-old students playing EFL literacy minigames. Learners answered a questionnaire about engagement with English classes and with the minigames, and gameplay data were collected from the game logs. We show that increased minigame use was due to successful language use during gameplay or positive attitudes towards the use of game-based language learning, but not both for the same students. Clustering students based on engagement revealed that an otherwise-unengaged group became engaged with language content through game use. We encourage the use of game-based language learning for children as one activity among many, including the use of supplementary materials to help learners understand that games can be effective language-learning tools.