Jogos digitais em inglês: um estudo sobre a presença dos princípios dos "bons jogos" e dos princípios da aprendizagem de James Paul Gee

Abstract

Digital games on smartphones, video games, computers and tablets have been part of the lives of young people for more than two decades. This research is an analysis anchored in the principles of good games and good learning developed by James Paul Gee, of three commercial games in order to discuss their role as resources that can aid in learning English. The choice of games was based on a survey conducted in a previous questionnaire, following the qualitative methodology of naturalistic perspective (DENZIN and LINCOLN, 2006). This questionnaire was answered by high school adolescents between 15 and 18 years of age. There were 142 informants with 136 valid answers. The most voted and preferred games by students, and subsequently analyzed, were GTA San Andreas (Grand Theft Auto), Counter Strike and Clash of Clans. The general goal is to gain a better understanding of how Gee's five principles of "good games" (2008a) and Gee's sixteen principles of learning (2005) are present in English-language games selected by student players. To corroborate these analyzes, 10 students from the initial questionnaire were volunteers as respondents of an interview aimed at validating these principles. I conclude that in the analyzed games the five principles of Gee (2008a) are present and that the sixteen principles of learning Gee (2005) are more marked in Clash of Clans and GTA San Andreas than in Counter Strike and offer more opportunities of learning by allowing greater contact with the English language.