Designing card games for learning the pragmatics of a second language

Many language-learning games teach either grammar, vocabulary or phonology. However, there are possibly neither digital nor non-digital games that teach the pragmatics of the language. Pragmatics is the study of how a language is conveyed and interpreted between speaker and hearer during spoken discourse. Learning pragmatics is essential for engaging in conversation with native speakers and interpreting their intentions within their speech. The outcomes of this PhD research project will include a card game for learning the pragmatics in English and a framework for designing the game. This “research through design” project involved case studies that examined how language-learning card games engage learners prior to conceptualisation of the first prototype iteration of the card game.