Julie M. Sykes

Conceptualizing Digital Game-Mediated L2 Learning and Pedagogy: Game-Enhanced and Game-Based Research and Practice

With millions of players worldwide, digital games have grown in ubiquity, diversity, and accessibility over the last decade across the globe. They are now played in most of the world’s major languages. Once confined to the physical boundaries of an arcade, single PC, or television console, games have boomed with the expansion of broadband Internet, in the form of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) and, most recently, casual social networking games (SNGs). In combination with a growing variety of platforms and player configurations, new narrative forms and distinct game genres have emerged, merged, and re-emerged as new forms.

Multiuser Digital Games as Sites for Research and Practice

Digital games are significant for language learning not only as potentially useful new tools within the confines of traditional foreign language contexts, but more importantly, as new semiotic and cultural environments that construct, and are constructed by, social practices. In this chapter, we explore multiuser games as ontologically new social practices that warrant attention within the scope of language learning. In doing so, we specifically address two types of multiuser digital games—multiplayer online games (MMOGs) and synthetic immersive environments (SIEs)—and their role in research and practice. In terms of research, we suggest goal orientation and social consequence as two especially meaningful elements of multiuser digital games for language learning. We then highlight ways multiuser digital games might be meaningfully considered in educational practice. This includes a discussion of task-based approaches as well as literacy development.

Entre dicho y hecho …: An Assessment of the Application of Research from Second Language Acquisition and Related Fields to the Creation of Spanish CALL Materials for Lexical Acquisition

Despite the problems presented by lexical errors in second language (L2) communication, most computer assisted language learning (CALL) programs tend to focus on the acquisition of grammar points rather than on the development of the L2 lexicon. In addition, CALL vocabulary tasks are typically limited in scope and mechanical in nature, covering mostly basic lexical meanings and ignoring many implications of language-related research that points out the need to focus on the layers of meanings associated with lexical items in various cultural contexts. This article brings together findings from research in various research fields related to Spanish SLA (e.g., cognitive psychology, psycholinguistics, and sociolinguistics) in order to propose 10 design features (DFs) of CALL software that would apply these insights to the creation of various types of computerbased lexical acquisition activities. As the authors propose these principles, they review several examples of Spanish CALL lexical materials in terms of their application of current theory (SLA and related fields) to practice (the design of the software activities to teach vocabulary). To conclude, the authors discuss logistical barriers that complicate and inhibit the application of theory and empirical research to practice in the creation of Spanish CALL lexical materials.

Educating Parents in the Spanish-Speaking Community: A Look at Translated Educational Materials

Abstract Federal legislation (White House Executive Order 13166, 2000) mandates that language services be provided to limited English proficient populations by health care providers receiving federal funding. In order to do this, some basic resources have been developed to administer medical services. Nevertheless, the translation aspects of these guidelines often lack many components that would be necessary to assure the functional adequacy of the translated text (e.g., cultural, pragmatic, and textual appropriateness). Furthermore, outside the medical field, guidelines and legislation are often nonexistent. In the absence of specific requirements for translation and/or translator qualifications, research suggests that translators, in particular novice, unexperienced translators, tend to adopt a literal, linguistic, micro-approach to the translation task, failing to consider global or pragmatic factors (Colina, 1997, 1999; Jääskeläinen, 1989, 1990, 1993; Königs, 1987; Krings, 1987; Kussmaul, 1995; Lörscher, 1991, 1992a, 1992b, 1997; Tirkkonen-Condit & Jääskeläinen, 1991). Given the scarcity of educational programs in translation and the frequent use of untrained bilinguals to produce translated materials in Arizona, we hypothesized that documents translated in educational settings would not be functionally adequate. Using a sample corpus of educational materials for the Spanish-speaking population, we show that this is indeed the case. We demonstrate that a structural, literal approach is inadequate for educational purposes and often negatively affects educational outcomes. The effectiveness of the translated materials with regard to global considerations and purpose is vital, especially in regard to parental involvement as a key factor in a students success. More adequate guidelines need to be developed regarding requirements for translations and translator training. Additional implications for education and policy creation for language-minority populations are discussed.