Wondering whether learning English through games is a real study method or just a break from it? Research says it can help: a meta-analysis found a small to medium positive effect. Pick games you enjoy, then play them with purpose.
If you want the bigger picture first, read about how do people learn a second language and where play fits in.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Effect of digital games, between-groups designs | 0.50 (Cohen’s d weighted, small to medium) |
| Effect of digital games, within-group designs | 0.95 (d weighted, medium) |
| Public games covered by that meta-analysis | Data collected January 2020 |
| Studies in the vocabulary meta-analysis | 26 published studies (2001-2017) |
| Games versus alternative activities (vocabulary) | Large overall effect (10 studies) |
| Entertainment games versus educational games | Entertainment more effective, with overlapping 95% confidence intervals |
The figures come from the Language Learning & Technology record and the National Taiwan Normal University record. Research figures can change as new studies appear, so check the source before you rely on them.
What the research says about games and English
A 2022 meta-analysis by Dixon, Dixon and Jordan, published in Language Learning & Technology, pooled studies of digital games that were available to the public when the data was collected in January 2020. It measured the overall effect of digital game-based language learning on second language development. You can read the details on the journal’s record.
The headline results depend on how the original studies were designed. Between-groups designs, which compare players with other learners, showed a small to medium positive effect (Cohen’s d weighted of 0.50). Within-group designs, which follow the same learners, showed a medium effect (0.95), according to the same journal record.
Read the larger number with some care. A within-group design has no comparison group, so it cannot show how much of the gain came from the game and how much from simply spending more time with English.
The analysis also split the results by features of the games and studies:
- The developers’ intended purpose of the game (educational or entertainment).
- The outcome measured, such as vocabulary or overall proficiency.
- The type of player interaction: single player, multiplayer or massively multiplayer online.
Do entertainment games beat educational ones?
This is the surprising part. The same meta-analysis found that games designed for entertainment were more effective than those designed for L2 education. It also noted some overlap in the 95% confidence intervals of the two groups.
That overlap matters. It means you should not treat the result as a settled ranking, only as a sign that games made purely for fun can still carry real language practice.
For you, the practical lesson is about engagement. A game you want to keep playing gives you more English exposure than a worksheet-style app you drop after a day. If you like quick browser games, the guide to english word games online is a good place to start.
What does the vocabulary evidence show?
Vocabulary is where games have been studied most closely. A 2018 meta-analysis by Tsai and Tsai in Computers and Education starts from the observation that L2 vocabulary learning has been deemed a daunting task for many students. It reviewed 26 published studies from 2001 to 2017.
The authors sorted the studies into four research-design conditions, because earlier reviews had reached diverse findings. The results, as reported on the university record, differ by condition:
- Condition 1 (10 studies): game players versus learners given alternative activities showed a large overall effect.
- Condition 2 (10 studies): a game with a feature added or changed versus the base version showed a medium effect.
- Condition 3 (two studies): games versus identical content delivered by conventional means showed a medium to large effect.
- Condition 4 (four studies): everyone played the same games and was grouped by a non-game variable, and the effect was non-significant.
Condition 3 is the fairest test of whether the game format itself adds something, but it rests on only two studies. Condition 4 says little about games versus other methods, because every participant was playing.
How to turn play into practice
The research does not hand you a lesson plan, so the steps below are practical suggestions built around what the studies measured, mostly vocabulary and overall proficiency. Adjust them to your level.
- Choose a game you would happily play anyway, with English text or speech you can mostly follow.
- Set one small language goal for each session, such as learning a handful of useful words.
- Keep a short word log and note the phrase or situation where each word appeared.
- Afterwards, say or write a two-line summary of what happened in English.
- Return to the words a few days later, in the game or in a short review.
Games work best as one part of a routine, not the whole of it. Pair them with reading, listening and some direct study of grammar or vocabulary.
Younger players need a different set-up, with shorter sessions and an adult nearby. For that, see english learning for kids at home.
Limits to keep in mind
Meta-analyses average many studies, and averages hide variation. The vocabulary review tested eight moderator variables in Conditions 1 and 2: game design, educational level, L2 proficiency level, linguistic distance, intervention setting, assessment type, game source and intervention length. In plain terms, results can shift with who plays, where, for how long and how learning is tested, as the review’s abstract explains.
The 2022 analysis covered only games available to the public by its January 2020 data collection, so newer titles were not part of it. Its authors also call for better methodological rigor and transparency in future research, per the journal record.
Treat the findings as encouraging, not as a guarantee. Your own progress is the best test: if you can use more words and follow more of the game each week, the habit is working.
Frequently asked questions
Can games replace English lessons?
Show answer
The sources reviewed here do not show that. They compare games with other activities or with conventional delivery of the same content, so treat games as a strong supplement to study rather than a full replacement.
Are entertainment games better than educational games?
Show answer
In the 2022 meta-analysis on the journal record, entertainment games were found to be more effective. The 95% confidence intervals of the two groups overlapped, so the gap is not a firm ranking.
Do games help with vocabulary?
Show answer
The vocabulary meta-analysis on the university record found a large overall effect when game players were compared with learners doing alternative activities. Results varied by research design.
How long should I play each day?
Show answer
The sources here give no single recommended amount. Intervention length was one of the variables the vocabulary review examined, so start with short, regular sessions and watch how your own progress goes.
