Simulation as a Game-based Experiential Technique in English for Professional Purposes: Implementation and Evaluation

Abstract

The goal of this paper was to explore how effective simulation as a game-based instructional method is in teaching English for Professional Purposes. It explains the creation, implementation, and assessment of the Company Simulation, a social epistemic simulation game in which students act out roles in a predetermined scenario and learn about the concepts and relationships of the business world while immersed in a classroom-created micro-world. Students complete tasks that mimic real-world professional tasks by navigating a complex web of interactions and transactions. A students' perceptions questionnaire has shown that the simulation was unequivocally thought to be relevant, enjoyable, and useful. It has also helped participants acquire specific language, social, and domain competences and skills in a collaborative environment offering abundant learning opportunities, thus bridging the academia and industry gap and helping students develop 21st century work-related skills in a meaningful, integrated, and purposeful way.