Mapping the research trends of digital game-based language learning (DGBLL): a scientometrics review

The research on digital game-based language learning (DGBLL) keeps growing, but a comprehensive account of its development in the recent two decades is still lacking. Therefore, the study presents a scientometrics review of the field based on the bibliometric records retrieved from the Web of Science Core Database. 205 publications with their references were included in this review. The science mapping software Citespace was employed to compute the properties of the publications with a view to outlining the major research areas and detecting the trends of DGBLL. The document co-citation analysis has identified major research clusters as educational game, MMORPG, out-of-school gameplay, vocabulary, game-based learning and theoretical underpinnings. The content of the major clusters was examined to gain a deeper understanding of the field and the burstness analysis has revealed that over the years, research on MMORPG has experienced fluctuations in activity, whereas the interest in vocabulary learning remained stable. The findings also highlighted the need for more research into the educational vs. commercial adoption in the context of language learning and teaching. As the first scientometrics review in the field, the study supplements traditional reviews by tracing the development of DGBLL over time via data-driven analysis. The discussion concludes by identifying gaps in the literature and offering suggestions for future research.