Language Learning Enhanced by Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) and the Underlying Behavioral and Neural Mechanisms
Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) have increased in popularity among children, juveniles, and adults since MMORPGs’ appearance in this digital age. MMORPGs can be applied to enhancing language learning, which is drawing researchers’ attention from different fields and many studies...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2017-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00095/full |
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| author | Yongjun Zhang Yongjun Zhang Hongwen Song Xiaoming Liu Xiaoming Liu Dinghong Tang Yue-e Chen Yue-e Chen Xiaochu Zhang Xiaochu Zhang Xiaochu Zhang Xiaochu Zhang Xiaochu Zhang |
| author_facet | Yongjun Zhang Yongjun Zhang Hongwen Song Xiaoming Liu Xiaoming Liu Dinghong Tang Yue-e Chen Yue-e Chen Xiaochu Zhang Xiaochu Zhang Xiaochu Zhang Xiaochu Zhang Xiaochu Zhang |
| author_sort | Yongjun Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) have increased in popularity among children, juveniles, and adults since MMORPGs’ appearance in this digital age. MMORPGs can be applied to enhancing language learning, which is drawing researchers’ attention from different fields and many studies have validated MMORPGs’ positive effect on language learning. However, there are few studies on the underlying behavioral or neural mechanism of such effect. This paper reviews the educational application of the MMORPGs based on relevant macroscopic and microscopic studies, showing that gamers’ overall language proficiency or some specific language skills can be enhanced by real-time online interaction with peers and game narratives or instructions embedded in the MMORPGs. Mechanisms underlying the educational assistant role of MMORPGs in second language learning are discussed from both behavioral and neural perspectives. We suggest that attentional bias makes gamers/learners allocate more cognitive resources toward task-related stimuli in a controlled or an automatic way. Moreover, with a moderating role played by activation of reward circuit, playing the MMORPGs may strengthen or increase functional connectivity from seed regions such as left anterior insular/frontal operculum (AI/FO) and visual word form area to other language-related brain areas. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T08:42:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9b11ffc5a456469799bad9f2df927088 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5161 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T08:42:55Z |
| publishDate | 2017-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-9b11ffc5a456469799bad9f2df9270882022-12-22T03:39:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience1662-51612017-03-011110.3389/fnhum.2017.00095239240Language Learning Enhanced by Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) and the Underlying Behavioral and Neural MechanismsYongjun Zhang0Yongjun Zhang1Hongwen Song2Xiaoming Liu3Xiaoming Liu4Dinghong Tang5Yue-e Chen6Yue-e Chen7Xiaochu Zhang8Xiaochu Zhang9Xiaochu Zhang10Xiaochu Zhang11Xiaochu Zhang12Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Information Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei, ChinaSchool of Foreign Languages, Anhui Jianzhu UniversityHefei, ChinaSchool of Humanities and Social Science, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei, ChinaCenter for Biomedical Engineering, School of Information Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei, ChinaSchool of Humanities and Social Science, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei, ChinaCenter for Biomedical Engineering, School of Information Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei, ChinaCenter for Biomedical Engineering, School of Information Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei, ChinaSchool of Public Affairs, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei, ChinaSchool of Foreign Languages, Anhui Jianzhu UniversityHefei, ChinaSchool of Humanities and Social Science, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, ChinaCenter of Medical Physics and Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of SciencesHefei, ChinaMassive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) have increased in popularity among children, juveniles, and adults since MMORPGs’ appearance in this digital age. MMORPGs can be applied to enhancing language learning, which is drawing researchers’ attention from different fields and many studies have validated MMORPGs’ positive effect on language learning. However, there are few studies on the underlying behavioral or neural mechanism of such effect. This paper reviews the educational application of the MMORPGs based on relevant macroscopic and microscopic studies, showing that gamers’ overall language proficiency or some specific language skills can be enhanced by real-time online interaction with peers and game narratives or instructions embedded in the MMORPGs. Mechanisms underlying the educational assistant role of MMORPGs in second language learning are discussed from both behavioral and neural perspectives. We suggest that attentional bias makes gamers/learners allocate more cognitive resources toward task-related stimuli in a controlled or an automatic way. Moreover, with a moderating role played by activation of reward circuit, playing the MMORPGs may strengthen or increase functional connectivity from seed regions such as left anterior insular/frontal operculum (AI/FO) and visual word form area to other language-related brain areas.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00095/fullMassive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs)language learninginteractionrewardbehavioral mechanismneural mechanism |
| spellingShingle | Yongjun Zhang Yongjun Zhang Hongwen Song Xiaoming Liu Xiaoming Liu Dinghong Tang Yue-e Chen Yue-e Chen Xiaochu Zhang Xiaochu Zhang Xiaochu Zhang Xiaochu Zhang Xiaochu Zhang Language Learning Enhanced by Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) and the Underlying Behavioral and Neural Mechanisms Frontiers in Human Neuroscience Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) language learning interaction reward behavioral mechanism neural mechanism |
| title | Language Learning Enhanced by Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) and the Underlying Behavioral and Neural Mechanisms |
| title_full | Language Learning Enhanced by Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) and the Underlying Behavioral and Neural Mechanisms |
| title_fullStr | Language Learning Enhanced by Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) and the Underlying Behavioral and Neural Mechanisms |
| title_full_unstemmed | Language Learning Enhanced by Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) and the Underlying Behavioral and Neural Mechanisms |
| title_short | Language Learning Enhanced by Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) and the Underlying Behavioral and Neural Mechanisms |
| title_sort | language learning enhanced by massive multiple online role playing games mmorpgs and the underlying behavioral and neural mechanisms |
| topic | Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) language learning interaction reward behavioral mechanism neural mechanism |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00095/full |
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