Abstract

This study explored the language learning strategies utilized by successful autonomous English learners in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), with particular attention given to the intersection of player identity and second language communication practices. Drawing on six semi-structured interviews with MMORPG players from varied linguistic and cultural backgrounds, this research acts as an exploratory study of how learners navigate the digital wilds to develop their language proficiency outside of traditional classroom contexts.
Using a hybrid approach integrating thematic coding of self-regulation to describe participant learning approaches and a modified Critical Discourse Analysis to address interplay of identity, this study identifies two categories of learning strategies and two categories of learner identity types. The categories of strategies are those involving learning by oneself (e.g., solo research, use of translation tools, online resources) and those involving learning with others communicatively (e.g., peer feedback, Reddit discussion, and collaborative play). These strategies were then examined through the lens of identity performance in relation to avatar customization choices, role or job selection in game, and communication preferences in game and out.
Findings indicate that participants strategically position themselves in digital communities, generally preferring support roles and text-based interactions to manage linguistic risk and reduce chances of miscommunication. Some learners, classified as conscious strategists, exhibited high self-awareness in adapting communication strategies to social contexts. The learners classified as immersive learners were more focused on interaction without any specific focus on their language beyond its use as a vehicle to accomplish goals in game or for talking with friends. Learners from both groups additionally reported a perceived decline in public patience toward non-native English speakers, as well as toward new players in online spaces more generally, a shift that was not present in earlier gaming communities.
This research contributes to our understanding of informal, socially embedded language learning in online gaming environments. It highlights how learner autonomy is enacted through identity-driven strategy use, and how communities in the digital wilds (specifically MMORPG communities) serve as complex, multimodal ecosystems for language development. The implications extend to digital language pedagogy, encouraging educators to draw on game-based identities to foster authentic language use. This is particularly valuable for learners motivated by community belonging, self-expression, and interaction, or otherwise not well served by traditional language learning approaches in schools.