Defining Game-Mediated Second and Foreign Language Teaching and Learning: A Review

The game-mediated second and foreign language (GML2) field investigates how games can be used in facilitating L2 teaching and learning. This review explores how researchers define and differentiate among GML2 practices. A total of 51 publications from 2010 to 2021 were analyzed, revealing that only 40% of the publications defined GML2 practices, with the majority focused on the use of educational games. A key recommendation is that scholars clearly define specific types of GML2 practices in their empirical and conceptual work to build a more coherent body of scholarship.