Text-Based Game — A Tool to Enhance Critical Reading and Critical Thinking Skills in English Classrooms

Abstract

Game technology has recently attracted a lot of attention and provides a favourable environment for language learning students who want to improve their English communicative abilities. The purpose of this article is to explore how students utilize gaming technology to increase their critical reading and critical thinking skills while playing. This research is a pre-experimental study with a one-group pre-test and post-test design. Students at the tertiary level are the participants in this study. Choice of the Dragon was a fantasy text-based game used in the experiment. A storyline from the game was transcribed into scripts and distributed to students for the pre-test. The game was introduced with the goal of gaining points on the achievement chart. In the end, the game will display an achievement chart. It encourages the students to continue the gameplay and read intensively until they reach their goal. Google Form was used to collect data for the research. The collected data was analysed with the help of a statistical tool. Students’ critical reading and critical thinking skills have increased significantly due to the intervention of the fantasy text-based game.