Videogames and Suprasegmental Features of English

Abstract

Education is on a progressive evolution where teachers try to find fresh and interactive methods for an effective learning in students. When interactivity is needed in class, videogames have become a useful tool to achieve it because they are not only games to entertain, but also a tool to engage students in learning and developing language skills such as the suprasegmental features of English. The aim of this research was to analyze how videogames improve the suprasegmental features of the English Language of students from 3rd level of Bachillerato General Unificado from Unidad Educativa “Ricardo Descalzi” in Ambato. The current research was experimental and carried out with a quantitative approach study. This study was performed with a total of 20 students with a quasi-experimental design, where 6 interventions divided into a 3-week period in which videogames were applied as the main tool to improve student’s suprasegmental features. To achieve this improvement, Rock band 3 videogame showed a set of different sentences, from Wh-questions to affirmative/negative questions and sentences, each word showed the correct stress to pronounce, along with the intonation pattern, in this way students were able to identify and practice their pronunciation both alone or in pair work. Additionally, a pretest and posttest were needed to prove the alternative hypothesis had taken into effect. Finally, findings proved positive results towards students’ suprasegmental features, especially with the recognition of different word stress and intonation patterns a sentence can develop. Also, students showed a better confidence and communicative competence between their partners in class.