Consideration on English Learning for Undergraduates Using a Portable Game Machine

The Nintendo DS handheld game console, which was developed by Nintendo and has been sold worldwide since 2004, is a game console which features/incorporates dual touch screens, voice-recognition features and innovative controls, and has been used not only as a video game device but also in the fields of education and as an education tool. In this study, I conducted research regarding Nintendo DS software for learning English with the objective of exploring the possibility of introducing and utilizing such software as an education tool in universities. The result was that when not only the students who were proficient in English, but also the students who initially displayed little interest in learning English using the Nintendo DS, actually started using it, they began to realize that it was fun and helpful to work with.