INVESTIGATING ONLINE VIDEO GAMES IMPACT ON EFL STUDENT'S COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Abstract

The Information Age created the stage for the rise of technology, which finally led to the total digitization of our society. The ongoing expansion of online video games (OVG) among young and adults worldwide is a prime illustration of this development. Parallel to this expansion, academics worldwide have researched the ability of online video games to affect players, as well as the factual impact of these online platforms on individuals' various talents and competencies. To that aim, our major goal was to use the same concepts and conduct the same study on Algerian EFL learners in the current environment. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of OVGs on EFL learners' communication abilities. A mixed-method approach was used through a learner's questionnaire and in-game observation to collect relevant data for the present research Results indicated that OVGs positively affect EFL learners' communication abilities, intercultural communicative competence, and other cognitive skills. However, a list of conditions must be checked, notably, the EFL learners' willingness to be immersed and communicate within the online video game.