37.1265, Books: Culturally Immersive Digital Games for Teaching Persian Language: Karimipour (2026)

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-37-1265. Mon Mar 30 2026. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 37.1265, Books: Culturally Immersive Digital Games for Teaching Persian Language: Karimipour (2026)

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Date: 25-Mar-2026
From: Ulrich Lueders [contact at lincom.eu]
Subject: Culturally Immersive Digital Games for Teaching Persian Language: Karimipour (2026)


Title: Culturally Immersive Digital Games for Teaching Persian
Language
Subtitle: A Computational Linguistics Approach for Iraqi
Arabic-Speaking Learners
Series Title: LINCOM Studies in Second Language Teaching 35
Publication Year: 2026

Publisher: Lincom GmbH
           https://lincom-shop.eu/
Book URL:
https://lincom-shop.eu/epages/57709feb-b889-4707-b2ce-c666fc88085d.sf/en_GB/?ViewObjectPath=%2FShops%2F57709feb-b889-4707-b2ce-c666fc88085d%2FProducts%2F%22ISBN%209783969392867%22

Author(s): Amir Karimipour, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

17x24 cm. ISBN 9783969392867. LINCOM Studies in Second Language
Teaching 35. 116pp. 2026. EUR 68.80.

Abstract:

This book presents a comprehensive framework for teaching Persian as a
foreign language through culturally immersive digital games,
specifically designed for Iraqi Arabic-speaking learners. Grounded in
interactional linguistics, task-based language teaching, and
sociocultural theory, the study develops and evaluates seven digital
games that address critical challenges in Persian acquisition:
pronunciation of difficult phonemes (/ʒ/, /x/, /ɢ/), vocabulary
retention, grammatical accuracy (imperatives and past tense), and
cultural competence (particularly taarof and bazaar bargaining). The
games leverage advanced computational tools including speech
recognition and natural language processing to provide immediate,
individualized feedback and adaptive scaffolding. A rigorous 10-week
controlled pilot study with 64 Iraqi Arabic-speaking learners at Ilam
University demonstrates the exceptional efficacy of this approach. The
experimental group achieved substantially greater gains than the
control group across all measures: pronunciation accuracy (+27.5 vs.
+9.5 percentage points), vocabulary retention (+24.5 vs. +8.4),
grammatical accuracy (+30.7 vs. +14.1), and most dramatically,
cultural competence (+42.4 vs. +11.6 percentage points). Effect sizes
ranged from Cohen's d = 1.58 to 2.01, among the largest ever reported
in game-based language learning research. Qualitative feedback
revealed high learner engagement (94% task completion) and intrinsic
motivation. The findings validate theoretical predictions about the
crucial role of meaningful interaction, pushed output, and scaffolded
practice within authentic cultural contexts. This work offers a
replicable model for developing effective digital learning resources
for less commonly taught languages, demonstrating how technology can
democratize access to high-quality, culturally authentic language
education.

Linguistic Field(s): Language Acquisition

Subject Language(s): Arabic (ara)
                     Persian (fas)

Written In: English (eng)



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