Integrating commercial-off-the-shelf games in L2 English vocabulary instruction

Research has shown that playing commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) games can have a positive influence on L2 English vocabulary learning. COTS games are commercially available digital games, either for computer or console, which are designed for entertainment (Reinhardt, Gameful second and foreign language teaching and learning: Theory, research, and practice. Palgrave Macmillan/Springer International Publishing, 2019). Thus, such games constitute a resource for vocabulary learning, but one that appears largely unexplored in the field. In this chapter, we focus on how secondary-school teachers can implement COTS games in English language teaching by drawing on students’ extramural experiences of gaming while using English for the purpose of intentional vocabulary learning for all—gamers and non-gamers alike. We report on two projects carried out in Sweden among three groups of students at three different levels (ages 13–16) who gave oral presentations about games. In this chapter we describe in detail both projects, from start to finish, and reflect on the outcomes.