Enhancing Business English Specialised Terminology Learning through Game-Based Instruction

Abstract

Learning new terminology is often regarded as the cornerstone of ESP. Its acquisition is vital for ESP practitioners and learners to facilitate communication in different target situations. The practitioners ‘ prime concern is searching for an adequate way to facilitate this task for ESP learners. At this level, the use of educational games belongs to the strategies that are challenging and beneficial for the teacher, and engaging and captivating for the students. Therefore, the present study aims to test the impact of educational games on acquiring specialised terminology among Business English students at Mustapha Stambouli – Mascara University, Algeria. A semi-structured interview, a questionnaire, and a pre-and post-test under the umbrella of the mixed methods approach were used as research tools to gather the required data. The results revealed that teachers and students acknowledge the positive impact of the game-based approach on their ability to acquire and memorise specialised Business English terminology. Also, educational games are essential in creating a friendly, competitive, and authentic environment in which they wish to be involved. For them, this approach enhances their language proficiency and the required communication skills to function adequately in their target settings. These findings suggest that incorporating educational games can be perceived as an essential element that should be further consolidated in different ESP contexts, including the business one.