ELLE the EndLess LEarner: Exploring second language acquisition through an endless runner-style video game Donald F. Merritt II don.merritt@ucf.edu University of Central Florida, United States of America Emily Kuzneski Johnson emily.johnson@ucf.edu University of Central Florida, United States of America Amy Larner Giroux amy.giroux@ucf.edu University of Central Florida, United States of America Games have been used to help people learn throughout history (Vankúš, 2005). Video games are interactive and encourage active learning (Domínguez, Saenz-de-Navarrete, de-Marcos, Fernán- dez-Sanz, Pagés, & Martínez-Herráiz, 2013; Watson, Mong, & Harris, 2011) more so than learning via lec- ture or textbook reading. The interactive nature of games also makes them engaging to the player. Stu- dent engagement is an essential component of learn- ing (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris 2004; Hall, Ram- say, & Raven, 2004; Kahu, 2013). Most scholars agree that games, when designed well, can increase student learning and retention (Ricci, Salas, & Cannon-Bowers, 2009) as well as motivation (Gee, 2003; Fullerton, 2014; Eichenbaum, Bavelier, & Green, 2014). Sykes and Reinhardt (2013) define game-based se- cond language learning and teaching as the “use of games and game-inclusive synthetic immersive envi- ronments” (p. 5) that are designed specifically for se- cond language learning contexts. They also state that few game-based spaces are available specifically for second language learning purposes. Scholars have noted the unintentional effect on second language learning that commercial games can have, for example, children in countries where English is not commonly spoken have been observed as acquiring knowledge of the language as a means to play the game (Sørensen & Meyer, 2007). Other research has focused on second language-learning interactions that learners form in multi-player video environments, including those as- sociated with video game chat rooms (Ryu, 2013). Alt- hough some video games that target language learning have emerged, such as Croquelandia, Language Island, Mentira, MIDDWorld Online, and Zon (Sykes & Rein- hardt, 2013), much research remains to be done in the efficacy of this game genre. The central question guid- ing our research is: How can a videogame best be de- signed to effectively enhance student second language acquisition? To answer this question, we turn to Ellis’s (1985) recommendations to facilitate language learning: the quantity of input directed at the learner, the learner’s perceived need to communicate in the second lan- guage, and the here-and-now principles. Current se- cond language pedagogy also stresses that learning should be authentic and goal-oriented. Drawing on so- cio-cultural theory, researchers have linked second language acquisition with a “language game” (Lantolf, 1997), explaining that play can allow learners to re- hearse linguistic forms they already know and to ex- periment with new input in a low-pressure environ- ment. The game we are developing will satisfy Ellis’s requirements for the quantity of input, the necessity for competency in the language (to advance in the game), and the “here-and-now” principle, in addition to authenticity and goal-orientation. This session will explain and demonstrate ELLE the EndLess LEarner, a game prototype designed to enable the study of secondary-language acquisition through an endless runner game platform. The system is de- signed so that different game features, specifically au- ditory, visual, and textual cues, can be modified easily by a researcher and the efficacy of each studied in re- lation to language acquisition and the game platform. The platform has been designed in this way to allow for research into the impact of these different cues and input methods on the activities being studied. The style of ELLE is an “endless runner,” which means that the player’s avatar is continuously in mo- tion, “running” through the game environment. For ex- ample, the iOS game Temple Run 2, continuously moves the player forward, without allowing the avatar to stop. The only controls available to the player are turning right or left, and jumping over or ducking un- der obstacles. The player cannot control the speed of motion though it can be manipulated through in-game objects. This game style results in a fast pace requiring players to react rapidly, and it has great potential to