When playing is learning: video games in the classroom

This paper aims to demonstrate the thesis that a video game may be an important mediational instrument in language learning. For this purpose, three aspects of video games are highlighted: (1) a video game is a social practice characterized by intensive language use, (2) a video game brings the player into the game, involving immersion, (3) a video game, while requiring language competence to be played, also affords language learning. The conclusion is that a video game, seen as an object of leisure, can result in learning the language, giving the student three options: (1) learning the language to play, (2) playing to learn the language, or (3) doing both things at the same time.