Effects of Online Gaming and Videos on the Motivation of Hungarian EFL Primary School Students

Abstract

This study examines effects of online input on the motivation and linguistic aptitude of Hungarian primary school English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Even in lower primary school, learners are digitally literate; most are connecting with online resources on a daily basis. Participants provided information about their average weekly time spent playing computer games online and watching videos on various platforms such as Youtube, Tiktok and Snapchat in English. Learners also completed an adaptation of the Attitude Motivation Test Battery to determine various aspects of their motivation for learning English. Results of these surveys and questionnaires were quantitatively analysed and compared in various ways including gender, class and smaller group that participants have their English lessons with. Then, the significance of these results and limitations of the study are discussed. Relevance and potential applications of this type of study are also discussed, including strategies for adapting teaching methodologies to effectively incorporate CALL and ICT into activities, as well as strategies to use information from an individual class about gaming and viewing habits to potentially increase learners’ motivation.