Bell, N. (2012). Comparing playful and nonplayful incidental attention to form. Language Learning, 62(1), 236–265.
This article looks at the ability of learners to recall items that have previously been the subject of playful metalinguistic reflection in the classroom. Building on previous studies in the relationship of humor to SLA, the author desires to address the question with several variables that had not been the focus of past research: classification of play with vs. play in L2, analysis of incidental rather than planned language play, comparison of learner recall of linguistic elements used in the context of serious vs. playful LREs (language-related episodes, or episodes in which learners consciously reflected on language), and comparison of playful LREs that were form-focused vs. those that were meaning-focused. The findings demonstrated that playful LREs globally considered resulted in significantly greater recall of items than serious ones. Moreover, the results also favored playful LREs that were meaning-focused, while those that were form-focused showed no significant advantage for later recall. The author also notes that playful LREs made up a relatively small number of occurrences and that teacher-initiated language play might yield greater results in future studies.
In my opinion, the author’s distinction between play with and play in L2 is an interesting one but not adequately elucidated. Although she asserts that play in L2 predominated in the data, I find it hard to see the dividing line between the two categories in the highlighted examples. Many of them seem to display both phenomena intertwined. Nevertheless, this article is of interest as it makes a clear distinction between the concepts of humor and language play, showing that the two are not interchangeable. At the same time, many of the examples of language play provided are indeed humorous. It would be interesting to look at recall and its relationship to humor in the L2 classroom more broadly, beyond the limited focus of language play. In any case, the study does provide evidence that language play facilitates language acquisition through promoting greater attention and recall. It should be useful to SLA researchers and to language instructors interested in how language play might facilitate more effective language learning in the classroom.