Description
This session provides EFL teachers with practical guidance on using location-based games to enhance language learning by taking it outside the classroom. I will begin by outlining my working context and discussing the theoretical foundations of location-based games, particularly their application in language learning to increase engagement and motivation among learners.I will then explore three of my projects. They each utilise mobile technology to create immersive, game-based language tasks: "Alien Anthropologists," which uses videos and photographs captured on smartphones; "Mission not really Impossible," which employs augmented reality images via Eyejack; and "The P-Team," which utilises the free Taleblazer app for interactive storytelling. These projects draw from research undertaken during my master's degree and professional doctorate in TESOL, demonstrating that location-based games are effective in motivating and challenging learners, with feedback highlighting benefits beyond their novelty.
Towards the end of my talk, I will address some of the challenges involved in implementing location-based activities, such as technological limitations and classroom management issues. I will conclude by encouraging participants to incorporate location-based learning into their own teaching practice, offering strategies to adapt these approaches for different contexts. This session aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on digital pedagogies by highlighting the potential of using the local environment as a resource in language education.
| Period | 9 Apr 2025 |
|---|---|
| Event title | The 58th IATEFL Annual Conference |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Edinburgh, United KingdomShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |