A efetividade dos jogos digitais no ensino de idiomas: o uso do jogo Free Fire para a comunicação em língua espanhola

Abstract

In language teaching, we still need to learn about the frequent use of traditional methods that do not facilitate communication, such as teaching materials for teaching the Spanish language that prioritizes the approach to grammatical topics. Also, considering the presence of digital games, particularly the Free Fire game, as a target of interest for students, this study aims to communicate in Spanish through the game in focus. Thus, the research question revolves around how to use the Free Fire game for communication in Spanish. With the increasing use of Digital Communication and Information Technologies (DICT) as educational support, potentially digital games, our general objective is to understand the effects of using the online digital game Free Fire on learning language practices for oral communication in the Spanish language. As specific objectives, we have: i) Analyze the linguistic potential of the digital game Free Fire through observation of online chats; ii) Plan didactic sequences that aim to practice language for oral communication in Spanish, based on the digital game in focus; iii) Identify the learning of oral communication in Spanish by students in the 1st year of high school who will be communicating in the language in online chats in digital games. In the theoretical foundation, we seek meaningful learning based on social interaction, relying on Vygotsky (1991), Ausubel (2003), and Freire (1987; 2011). Regarding the use of digital games in education, we look for Prensky (2012), Petry (2010), Bahia (2010), and also, regarding the teaching of Spanish and its relationship with TDIC, we have Lobato (2018), Rojo (2013), Almeida (2009) and documentary bases that govern the Brazilian educational system. This work is of an applied nature and uses a mixed or qualitative-quanti methodological approach (Sampieri, Collado, and Lucio, 2013; Prodanov and Freitas, 2013) for data analysis and action research (Gil, 2002; Tripp, 2005) as a form of procedure for its application. The data analyzed showed that the strategies adopted with Free Fire created active, playful, and attractive experiences, where oral language was used in different situations with real communication effects, namely: 1) improvement in oral communication capacity, both of which concern speaking as much as listening; 2) the acquisition of new vocabulary that enriched the speech; and 3) the approximation of the native way of speaking, with more assertive intonation and rhythm.