Francesca Ricciardelli (University of Southern California)
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Valentina Morello (University of Arkansas)
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This panel examines how emerging technologies and game-based practices are transforming world language (WL) education by creating more interactive, meaningful, and learner-centered environments. Drawing on perspectives from language pedagogy, educational technology, and game studies, the session explores the pedagogical potential of tabletop games, video games, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as tools for fostering communicative competence, collaboration, and learner engagement.

Game-based learning—ranging from cooperative board games and role-playing systems to digital gaming environments—provides learners with purposeful contexts for language use. Unlike traditional form-focused exercises, gameplay encourages learners to negotiate meaning, give and follow instructions, express opinions, and collaborate toward shared goals, thereby promoting fluency, confidence, and authentic communication. These immersive environments also create opportunities for real-time language use that mirrors natural interaction.

This panel explores the evolving role of technology in world language teaching, focusing on the pedagogical continuum from gaming to Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the classroom. Bringing together educators’ and researchers’ expertise, the session will examine how emerging tools and game-based practices are reshaping language learning and classroom interaction. The discussion begins with the growing integration of tabletop and digital games into curriculum design to foster learner engagement and authentic communication. Educational games—ranging from cooperative board games and storytelling card decks to digital gaming environments—offer interactive and immersive contexts where learners practice vocabulary, negotiate meaning, give and follow instructions, and collaborate toward shared goals. Presenters will demonstrate how game mechanics such as turn-taking, problem-solving, narrative building, and community collaboration can be strategically adapted to support specific linguistic outcomes, including vocabulary development, pragmatic language use, and critical thinking, while preserving player agency and enjoyment. By foregrounding experiential learning and social interaction, gaming-based instructional practices create regular opportunities for meaningful communication, help reduce oral production anxiety, and support the development of intercultural awareness, creativity, and a stronger classroom community. Building on this foundation, the panel will then explore the expanding influence of AI in language education. Panelists will discuss emerging AI-powered tools—including intelligent tutoring systems, adaptive learning platforms, and automated assessment technologies—and how these innovations can provide personalized, data-driven learning experiences that complement communicative, game-based instruction. Attention will also be given to the benefits and challenges of AI integration, including questions of bias, ethics, and equitable access to technology. Concluding with an open dialogue on future directions in language teaching technologies, the panel invites audience participation to reflect on the opportunities and potential risks associated with these innovations. Ultimately, the session aims to stimulate critical thinking and collaboration among participants while highlighting how gaming and AI can work together to support more effective, inclusive, and engaging language learning environments.