Fostering Foreign Language Learning Through Game Design

This paper explores the effect of game design on foreign language acquisition through a French language game design project. The approach to language learning that this project explored touched on various L2 theories including the CLT approach, the multilingual approach, and the multiliteracies approach. The design aspect of the project served to create an interest-driven learning environment in which students could combine their academic and professional interests with language. This combination led to the development of a French language-learning game titled Bonne Chance, which is now a working product played by students at the University of Tennessee. The purpose of this paper is to explore how and to what extent the design team behind the production of Bonne Chance learned French through coding the game, creating game assets, and designing game mechanics. In addition to examining the design team’s grammatical and lexical comprehension of French, this paper also analyzes the extent of cultural awareness that resulted from their participation in the project. Through a series of tests, surveys, and observations through process photos and videos, the team was evaluated on every language learning objective that this project encompassed as well as their cultural awareness. This paper analyzes each of these items in order to demonstrate the depth of this project, how the process can be optimized, and how it can offer an alternative to traditional L2 learning pedagogy.