Abstract:

Gamebased learning is a strategy used across different disciplines to foster motivation for students while also allowing them to reach the target base of knowledge. When the target is set to an additional language other factors, such as level of proficiency in the target language and the individual's linguistic repertoire can play a role in the success of game play. Pluralistic Approaches are pedagogical techniques that move away from a traditionally monolingual methodology to one that invites other languages into the learning process, granting the student the ability to use all of their linguistic knowledge during the learning process. In this discussion we present the findings of using a pre-existing game, Trivial Pursuit-Family Edition, for game-based learning in an English as an Additional Language classroom with the purpose to practice reading strategies through the pluralistic approach of Intercomprehension between related languages (IC). IC is a pluralistic approach presented by the Council of Europe that requires the social agent to use the entirety of their linguistic repertoire for linguistic interaction with languages that are not studied by the social agent. Taking advantage of the intrinsic motivational factors of game play with the principal function of IC between related languages, students ages 12-13 in Barcelona, Spain, played a familiar game to them, but in a language they have not studied or have frequent contact with i.e. Portuguese. The purpose for using Portuguese as the medium language of the game is based on its geographic and linguistic closeness to the languages the student's already know, Spanish and Catalan. By playing a familiar game, the students were able to focus more on deciphering the text than learning how to play. Through the analysis of a small group discussion and a post game worksheet we have been able to observe the students´ attitudes and skills used during gameplay. From this we have identified that this strategy isolated and developed reading skills and strategies in a holistic way, specifically that of using context and preexisting knowledge to understand written information. The impact of this presentation will be highly beneficial because we will be able to describe the selection process for choosing a game for specific purposes, outline student's IC abilities, and the literary benefits for including pluralistic approaches in the language classroom.

Keywords:

Game-based Learning, Plurilingualism, Intercomprehension, Language Learning, Pluralistic Approaches.