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Top1. Introduction
Arabic is the most influential language in Saudi Arabia. Now learning a second or foreign language has become a necessity due to the globalisation and competitive nature of the world today. Therefore, it is important to study at least one foreign language. Today, English has become the worldwide language for financial, political and historical reasons. That is, it is today the main international language of communication (Alkhuli, 2006; Ur Rahman and Alhaisoni, 2013). Since English acquisition as a Foreign Language (EFL) has become essential, it is crucial to provide help to students with their EFL learning.
But teaching English can be a challenge for both educators and learners themselves (Hashemi and Azizinezhad, 2011; Khan, 2011; Gamlo, 2019). For learners, formal instruction can be difficult and even counterproductive; now, a body of research shows that both teachers and learners benefit from less formal teaching methods, and students’ tensions in learning language can be reduced (Wan, 2017). Because learning vocabulary is generally perceived by students as a challenge, making it a ‘fun’ activity is one of the important priorities for teachers (Vale and Feunteun, 1995). In fact, as Allen states: “Words should be enjoyed, and the study of words should bring no less joy” (1999, p. 69).
Kim (1995) argues that not all learning must be serious and formal. Through games, learners can learn a language and enjoy themselves at the same time. Using games can create a relaxed atmosphere, as well as provide a non-threatening classroom environment that enables students to learn and enjoy their classes at the same time. That is, through playing games students can acquire language vocabulary, which is a central dimension of language learning (Hashemi and Azizinezhad, 2011; Cameron, 2001; Nunan and Carter, 2001; Dereso et al., 2022). These studies proposes the use of the mobile game, which is defined broadly as “a video game played on mobile devices” (Liang and Yeh, 2011, p.188), for teaching English vocabulary in Saudi formal schools. Literature review
1.1 EFL in Saudi Arabia
McKay (2006)
defined foreign language learning as the process of learning a language that is rarely heard or used outside the classroom, thus studying and using English in Saudi Arabia is considered to be using a foreign language (Javid, Farooq and Gulzar, 2012; Ur Rahman and Alhaisoni, 2013). The educational system in Saudi Arabia currently gives the teaching of English a high priority and one of the Saudi Government’s efforts toward education in general, and teaching English in particular, is its endeavour to integrate technology at all school levels (Saqlain, Al-Qarni and Ghadi, 2013; Wang & Wang, 2021).
Despite the extensive efforts that have been made in designing curricula, preparing teachers and equipping the classes, the outcomes of students are still not satisfactory (Javid, Farooq and Gulzar, 2012; Ur Rahman and Alhaisoni, 2013). This poor performance may be a result of four major constraints, as explored in the study of Al-Seghayer (2014) “beliefs, components of curriculum, and pedagogical and administrative constraints” (p.17).
Authors like (Fithriani, 2021; Yu, Gao, & Wang, 2021; Patel et al., 2022; Upa, & Damayanti, 2022; Ugur, & Çakır, 2022; Ibitomi, & Iyamu, 2022; Ramanujam et al., 2022; Aulawi, 2021) have recommended to use modern technology for making the teaching effective.