EFL Students’ Perceptions of English Vocabulary and Reading Exposure Through Role-Playing Games (RPGs)

Abstract

Video games offer substantial potential for incidental language learning, yet research has paid less attention to learners’ subjective experiences of encountering English texts during gameplay. This qualitative study explores EFL students’ perceptions of vocabulary and reading exposure through extramural English role-playing games (RPGs). Data were collected through in-depth interviews with five experienced EFL gamers. The findings indicate that participants perceived vocabulary learning as an incidental outcome of gameplay, particularly when they needed to understand unfamiliar words to follow instructions, complete quests, and progress through the game. This process reflects the Involvement Load Hypothesis, as vocabulary encounters were perceived to require attention, engagement, and a need to understand meaning for immediate gameplay purposes. Participants also reported that audio, visual representations, and contextual clues helped them infer the meanings of unfamiliar words and reduced the difficulty of processing English texts. Although complex texts initially created a cognitive burden, narrative engagement and identification with the gamer role appeared to reduce anxiety and encourage continued interaction with English. Participants described reading as a form of action-oriented activity that required them to process texts voluntarily and continuously, which they perceived as strengthening their reading stamina. Overall, RPGs were perceived as an engaging and relatively low-anxiety environment that supported students’ confidence and sustained exposure to English literacy, although the findings reflect learners’ perceptions rather than direct evidence of actual vocabulary acquisition.