{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T04:31:01Z","timestamp":1786336261376,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786320000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>With the growing interest in integrating technology into language teaching, Augmented Reality (AR) has emerged as a promising tool for enhancing learning experiences. However, there is limited research examining its impact on Chinese English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) learners\u2019 vocabulary learning and academic enjoyment. The study aims to explore how innovative teaching approaches, such as AR game-based learning, can enhance Chinese EFL learners\u2019 vocabulary acquisition and overall academic enjoyment. Two intact classes of 80 learners each from a large university in China were randomly assigned to either an experimental group, which received AR game-based instruction, or a control group, which received traditional teacher-fronted instruction. A concurrent mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were collected through pretest and posttest vocabulary measures and analyzed using independent-samples t-tests. Findings indicated that although the two groups were comparable at the pretest stage, the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group on the posttest, indicating AR game-based instruction\u2019s effect on vocabulary learning. Qualitative data were gathered through learners\u2019 narratives and semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically to explore their perceptions and experiences of academic enjoyment in the AR-supported learning environment. The analysis revealed three major themes: perceived heightened interest through novelty and immersion, perceived enhanced satisfaction through clearer understanding and vocabulary retention, and perceived increased motivation through interactivity and game-like engagement. Taken together, the findings suggest that AR game-based instruction can support both vocabulary development and positive emotional engagement in EFL learning. The study offers implications for teachers, curriculum developers, and educational decision-makers seeking to integrate innovative and emotionally supportive technologies into language education.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1861679","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T04:22:29Z","timestamp":1786335749000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Investigating the potential of augmented reality game-based instruction on Chinese EFL learners\u2019 vocabulary learning and academic enjoyment"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Huan","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Foreign Languages, Jinling Institute of Technology","place":["Nanjing, China"]},{"name":"School of Marxism, Nanjing University of Science and Technology","place":["Nanjing, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Guofen","family":"Zhu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Marxism, Nanjing University of Science and Technology","place":["Nanjing, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1089","DOI":"10.1007\/s10639-018-9806-3","article-title":"Determining the trends of using augmented reality in education between 2006\u20132016","volume":"24","author":"Altinpulluk","year":"2019","journal-title":"Educ. 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