Digital Spaces and Games in the Context of Language Teaching and Learning

In this session, we will explore the ways in which various types of digital games can be useful for language teaching and learning. Specifically, the presentation will use examples of current projects to explore design and implementation principles for place-based and mixed-reality games.

Julie Sykes earned her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. She is the Director of the Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS) and an Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics. Her research focuses on applied linguistics and second language acquisition with an emphasis on technological and pedagogical innovation for interlanguage pragmatic development and intercultural competence. She has taught courses on second language teaching and learning, methodology and research, language learning and technology, Hispanic linguistics, and interlanguage pragmatic development.

Julie’s experience includes the design, implementation, and evaluation of online immersive spaces and the creation of place-based, augmented-reality mobile games to engage language learners in a variety of non-institutional contexts. She has published various articles on computer-assisted language learning (CALL)-related topics, including synchronous computer-mediated communication and pragmatic development, gaming and CALL, and lexical acquisition in digitally mediated environments. Julie is the recipient of the 2018 University of Oregon Research Award for Impact and Innovation.