1. Changes in lexical skill through large input from hand-held video games
We will talk about a study done on the effect of a large amount of non-graded reading on Japanese university students lexical and comprehension skills. Quickly, we should add that these texts are not graded. The subjects in this study read hand held Nintendo video games which included a large amount of English text. Obviously, this is an approach which is quite different to the standard method of extensive reading, We are presenting this as an exploration of a supplementary method of reading input. We were concerned with our subjects’ vocabulary and reading comprehension. As we continue, we will give you more details.
David Coulson
Ritsumeikan University
Benjamin Thanyawatpokin

2. Extensive Reading = Paper Texts.
Can video games equally well offer chances for reading development.
Video games (and multimedia formats in general) are more relevant to today’s students (e.g., Annetta, 2009; Prensky, 2005).
Because video game scripts do not have the characteristics of simplified texts that we usually think of. Namely, that it is not graded. However, they aren’t intensive reading either. Althrough the vocabulary is not graded, conversely video games can offer rich visual information which supports comprehension in a way that graded reader don’t quite manage.

3. Theoretical Basis Mayer (2008) – Theories of learning from multimedia
Multimedia Principle
Segmenting Principle
Prensky (2005) – Focus on “Digital Native”
Multimedia – Multi-modal texts facilitate comprehension
Segmenting Principle – Self-paced materials aid comprehension
This research focuses mainly on so-called “digital natives” which are students who grew up around multimedia, video games, and handheld devices.

4. Studies Involving Video Games as L2 Learning Materials
Suh, Kim, & Kim (2013)
151 5th and 6th grade Korean students: English online video game.
Ranalli (2008)
Nine ESL learners played The Sims, a simulation video game.
deHaan (2013)
Six Japanese university students played six different English video games.
All researchers presented benefits to playing video games in their L2.
Grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension.
Output skills not effected (speaking, writing)

5. My Study Participants The Video Game Testing method – Pre/post style
2nd year university students: English majors. TOEIC
Treatment = 9 students; Control = 10 students.
The Video Game
Nintendo 2DS and Pokemon Y – Interactive RPG
Testing method – Pre/post style
Video game-related surveys, video game journals, reading comprehension test, and word recognition skill test.
Students play a video game freely for two months.
Average number of hours played over two months = 25.67, SD: 8.18
Nation and Malarcher book – This is a book of graded passages written to help students improve their reading speed and reading accuracy. I used this book in the pre and post tests.
Interactive RPG’s = walking around a virtual landscape talking to characters. All interaction is done in text.

6. Video Game Linguistic Properties – Two Hour Sample
1-25k = not simplified, quite advanced

7. These pictures show that the video game I used contains rich input such as idioms and phrasal verbs.

8. Research Question
How do Japanese university students react to playing video games made with English text?
Can playing English video games increase word recognition speed?
Can English video games foster gains in reading rate?

9. Survey Response Quotes
“The same sentence or situation would show up constantly, this helped my comprehension of the dialogue in the game”
“Maybe I am a perfectionist, I want to go everywhere and talk to everybody I can. I don’t want to miss anything and it takes a lot of time”
This is supported by the visual aids which promotes accurate inferences.

10. Video Game Diaries/Surveys
Emerging trends:
Images (graphics on video game screen) helping in text comprehension.
Type of English (daily conversation) perceived to be useful by participants.
Motivation to learn English high at beginning of study. Changed to motivation to simply PLAY the game.
Less play = less motivation
A temporary boost to motivation usually characterized by unique stimulus. In this case, that stimulus would be video games.

11. Interlude
Methodology for word recognition assessment, used by Ben.

12. Testing learners for word-recognition skill
Establish a core of automatically accessible lexical items (Hulstijn, 2001)
No widely accepted test of vocabulary fluency (Milton et al 2007).

13. Q_Lex Word recognition based on a word-search format
Meara developed the format in the 1980s following work by Lambert
Other work has investigated the recognition of words in strings. It has strong –predictive power
thatboywentlast vs whatbuywantland Adams, t
tablethinkwatch > table/think/watch Coulson, 2014

14. Q_Lex Word recognition based on a word-search format
Meara developed the format in the 1980s following work by Lambert
Other work has investigated the recognition of words in strings. It has strong –predictive power
thatboywentlast vs whatbuywantland Adams, t
tablethinkwatch > table/think/watch Coulson, 2014

15. Q_Lex Word recognition based on a word-search format
Meara developed the format in the 1980s following work by Lambert
Other work has investigated the recognition of words in strings. It has strong –predictive power
thatboywentlast vs whatbuywantland Adams, t
tablethinkwatch > table/think/watch Coulson, 2014

17. fiwleavemtsnt

18. Development of the format
66 words were selected (mean rank order: 833 in the JACET word list.)
20 NSs took the test; data was used to calculate norm values
Mean NS reaction time: 925msecs SD 358
106 female first-year university students took the test.
Their mean score was 36.0/66 (54.5%).
The test showed good reliability by the Kr-21 method (0.92)

19. Rasch Analysis and the Creation of Equivalent Forms of Q_Lex
The range of infit meansquare was from 0.73 to 1.19.
60 items were split into two 30-item sets.
Value of infit meansquare was 1.02.
Shuffling of items resulted in Form A ( infit mnsq 1.00 )
and Form B ( infit mnsq 0.99 )
The mean number of hits per item (mean score of 106 subjects) in both Forms was 55.8

21. Summary of Quantitative Data
Word Recognition Skill (q_lex)*
(out of 30)
Reading Rate* (sec)
Reading Comprehension*
(out of 8)
p<.01
SD: 4.09
p<.05
SD: 34.0
SD: 0.67
Word Recognition Skill (q_lex)* (excluding outliers)
p<.05
SD: 2.82
Treatment Vs. Control**
Word Recognition Skill
Reading Rate
Reading Comprehension
U=12, p=.07,
r=.46
U=21, p=.05, r=.45
U=17, p=.017,
r=.55.
*Result according to Wilcoxon-Signed Rank Test
** Result according to Mann-Whitney Test

22. Discussion
Lexical accessibility gains evidenced by word recognition and reading speed.
Ranalli (2008) and deHaan (2013)
Video games can sustain motivation for continued English input.
Dornyei (2014) – Directional Motivation Currents
Context played a large role in understanding of certain words/dialogue.

23. Limitations Self-reported data.
More varied tests to accurately measure reading and vocabulary skill are required. (Waring & Nation, 2004)
Incomplete linguistic data of the video game used.

24. Implications “Gamification” of English learning materials (Gee, 2007).
Possibility to use different materials to fit “digital natives” (Prensky, 2005).
Video games can be used as a viable English educational support tool.
The nintendo DS, which was used for this study, is already being used for vocabulary learning and has applications such as dictionaries, so taking that leap into graded reading is something that can be explored.

25. References
Adams, M. (1990). Beginning to Read. Thinking and Learning about print. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Annetta, L. A. (2009). Video Games in Education: Why They Should be Used and How They are Being Used. Theory Into Practice, 47(3) DOI: /
Coulson, D. (2014). The Development of Word Reading Skill in Secondary Schools in East Asia. In (R. Al-Mahrooqi & A. Roscoe (Eds.) Focusing on EFL Reading: Theory and Practice. Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Coulson, D. & Meara, P. (in press). The Development, Validation and Use of a Test of Word Recognition for English Learners.
Day, R., Bamford, J. (2002). Top Ten Principles for Teaching Extensive Reading. Reading in a Foreign Language, 14,
Dörnyei, Z., Muir, C., Ibrahim, Z (2014). "Directed Motivational Currents". In Lasagabaster, D., Doiz, A., Sierra, J.M. In Motivation and Foreign Language Learning. From theory to practice. (pp. 9-29). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
deHaan, J.W. (2013). Video Game and Second Language Acquisition. Illinois, Common Ground Publishing.
Gee, J,P. (2007). What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Mayer, R.E. (2009). Multi-media Learning. Cambridge, New York: New York.
Prensky, M. (2005). Computer games and learning: Digital game-based learning. In Handbook of Computer Game Studies, 18, (pp ).
Ranalli, J. (2008) Learning English with The Sims: exploiting authentic computer simulation games for L2 learning. In Computer Assisted Language Learning. 21:5, (pp ). London, Routledge.
Suh, S., Kim, S.W., Kim, N.J. (2010). Effectiveness of MMORPG-based instruction in elementary English education in Korea. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, DOI: /j x
Waring, R., Nation, P. (2004). Second Language Reading and Incidental Vocabulary Learning. Angles on the English Speaking World,

26. Word Recognition Skill: q_lex (score out of 30)
Here we see, there is an overall significant change through the group in lexical accessibility. We are seeing a large amount of initial and post scores across the individual. And the reasons for that can be elaborated upon if the question arises. Please bear in mind that David showed data that in his original validation study, scores in a control group remained constant. In other words, q_lex scores increased in response to large amounts of input.
*significant at p<.01 according to Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test

27. Reading Rate (sec)
*significant at p<.05 according to Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test

28. Reading Comprehension Scores (Max 8 points)
*significant at p<.01 according to Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test