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Serious games for language learning

Many researchers and practitioners in the field argue for the potential of serious games for language learning and teaching (Meyer and Sorensen, 2009; Johnson, 2010; Amoia et al, 2012). The realistic environment provided by serious games and the guaranteed access to authentic content can be used in an advantageous manner for addressing educational demands in the area of language learning. Recent studies argue in favour of ‘intrinsic serious game design’ for language learning that move beyond drill-and-error tasks and support ‘fruitful thinking, real language interaction and learner engagement’ (Meyer and Sorensen, 2009 p. ). Serious games are still not part of school practices but are gaining tremendous acceptance for use in informal educational settings.