The use of tabletop RPG game as a tool in the english teaching

Abstract

The communicative skills of English language students in public schools in Recife are neglected during classes, whether due to limitations in the teaching system, a lack of resources, or classroom dynamics. This research investigated the impact of a specific game, the TRPG (Tabletop Role-Playing Game), on students’ linguistic development. The methodology was based on the principles of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), which Brown (2007) claims are highly effective in developing communicative competencies. Furthermore, this research used the Affective Teaching theory to understand participants' emotions and feelings during the experience. The game was used to enhance students’ speaking and comprehension skills through immersive, interactive classes. The case study was conducted at the Instituto Federal de Pernambuco (IFPE) with high school students of varying English proficiency levels, who were exposed to the game and completed two questionnaires: one before and another after participation. While integrating grammar, vocabulary, phonology and other linguistic areas in narrative TRPG sessions, the research aimed to develop students’ communicative competences, self-confidence and engagement through group interactions and a more pleasurable learning environment in which the fear of errors is shortened. The result contributed to understanding that the use of TRPG can be a viable tool in language teaching, especially in contexts where more traditional approaches fail to support oral production and to raise students’ participation in the classroom.