THE INTERMODALITY ON THE READING OF NON-PEDAGOGICAL JAPANESE GAMES

AN EXPLORATORY RESEARCH

Abstract

One of the most highlighted questions on the use of non-pedagogical video games as language learning tools is if the student is able to read during gaming sessions. Being a multimodal media (KRESS, 2009), games are not such as static text, and “reading” in games does not rely only on the comprehension of the written mode. Various modes interact and develop immersion (CSIKSZENTMIHALYI, 2014; SALEN; ZIMMERMAN, 2003) that can be seen as an authentic and contextualized use of the language (GILMORE, 2007; NEWCOMBE; BRICK, 2017), however, little is known about the effectiveness of this media to the reading learning practice. Specially Japanese, with its complex writing system (OLIVEIRA, 2019). Questions like “can my student read this?”; “Is it not too difficult for him?” “Do these images not disturb him?” were the guides to rise the proposition: Is the contextualized language (NEWCOMBE; BRICK, 2017) on video games capable of providing any acquisition of the Japanese writing system? (BASSETTI, 2019). In order to analyze it, 19 students informed their Japanese reading habits. Then, 3 of them, with different Japanese levels of proficiency, played the games Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! and Kukkingu Mama in one gaming section. The reports were recorded and allow us to infer that the Japanese reading skills have an effect on the understanding of the written mode. However, the multimodal environment seems to be beneficial to encourage the gamers, even on the first levels.