Influence of Video Games on Children’s English Language Learning: A Case of Bangladesh

Abstract

Playing video games has become an integral part of children’s lives now a days. The purpose of this study is to understand and measure the influence of playing video games on children’s English language learning. This exploratory study has been conducted in three steps. In the first step, a quantitative approach has been used, where data have been collected from 180 children by using a survey questionnaire. In the second step, a set of qualitative data have been collected by structured interview from 10 guardians whose children play video games on a regular basis. In the study’s third step, a two-sample t-test has been conducted to compare the English language skills of two groups of children, who played video games, and who did not. This comparison was based on the results of the children’s sudden proficiency test in English. After analyzing all the data, it is found that playing video games increases children’s basic language skills as well as grammar, spelling and vocabulary knowledge. Playing games reduce linguistic fear and enhance confidence. It is found from the statistical analysis (t-test) that the average score of proficiency test for one group, who play video games in regular basis, is higher than the average score of proficiency test of the other group, who do not play video games. So, this result demonstrates that the children who play video games are having better knowledge in English than other children. It implies that video games have a positive effect on children’s English language learning.