En forskningsöversikt om World of Warcraft och vägen till bättre engelskkunskaper hos barn och unga

Sammanfattning: The digital world that has been created in today’s society opens doors to possibilities that we could not have dreamed of twenty years ago. One of these possibilities is that children can learn new languages by interacting and communicating with people all around the world. Learning English as a second language is obligatory in Swedish schools. It is a part of the curriculum and as normalized as learning maths or science. However, that does not mean it is an easy task. Many students struggle with second language acquisition and need a helping hand to motivate or facilitate easier understanding of a second language. This essay presents a major influence on many second language learners in Sweden today: World of Warcraft. World of Warcraft is a major online game that is played by thousands of children around the world every day, including Sweden. It is a game that involves reading and understanding English, speaking and texting in English and being able to follow spoken and written instructions in English. All these traits are willingly practiced by motivated children all around Sweden today because of one common interest: the interest in the game itself. This essay is a research overview and it aims to bring light to the importance of communication between young learners in the gaming community, how the game contributes to facilitating a place and community where gamers can communicate and practice their gaming skills and second language acquisition. To complete this essay an extensive amount of research about second language acquisition and online games has been gathered and to answer three main questions. The results of this essay show that there is significant research to support the claims that second language acquisition is greatly advanced by participating in massive multiplayer online games and that the communication between players that is a part of these games is a great source of acquiring a second language.