Descriptors: out-of-school literacy, new digital divide, MMORPGs, effects of new technologies on UAE students, War of WorldCraft, impact of ICT on learning

Due to the technological advance that has swept our societies, students have become more and more engaged with new burgeoning technological tools such as computers, cell phones, iPods, digital cameras, and the like. As a result, the disparity between what students do inside school and what they do at home has grown wider. Buckingham (2007) refers to this gap as the „new digital divide‟. In this research paper, I set out to investigate how digital technologies mediate a group of Al Ittihad Model School (AIMS) students ‟ literacy practices outside of formal academic settings by investigating their online life and engagement with one contemporary „semiotic domain‟: Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs). I will approach the topic from the perspective of an ESL teacher to shed light on the definition of MMORPGS and focus my discussion on a particular game named World of WarCraft. I will also discuss the effects of this game on my subjects in as far as forms of learning and social interaction are concerned. Criticisms and new trends in the field of online gaming will be briefly reviewed throughout the paper