Gamification in English Language Teaching: A Strategy to Enhance Oral Expression
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62452/m3b2n358Keywords:
Gamification, speaking skills, English as a foreign language, motivation, active learningAbstract
Teaching English as a foreign language faces several challenges related to student motivation, active participation, and the development of communicative skills, particularly speaking. In response to this situation, gamification has emerged as an innovative teaching strategy that incorporates game elements into educational contexts in order to promote meaningful learning experiences. The aim of this study is to analyze the potential of gamification for the development of English-speaking skills, considering its theoretical foundations, key components, and practical applications in the teaching and learning process of foreign languages. From a theoretical and descriptive perspective, the study examines contributions from various scholars who emphasize the value of elements such as points, badges, levels, challenges, and immediate feedback systems in fostering motivation, participation, and learners' self-confidence. Likewise, practical experiences involving role-playing games, gamified debates, digital platforms, and collaborative learning environments are discussed as effective means of encouraging the contextualized use of the language. The analysis reveals that gamification contributes to reducing communication anxiety, increasing student interaction, and strengthening linguistic and social skills that are essential for English language learning. It is concluded that this methodology represents an effective alternative for enriching foreign language instruction, provided that its implementation is guided by clearly defined pedagogical objectives and adapted to the characteristics of the educational context in which it is applied.
Downloads
References
Arip, A. J., & Hashim, H. (2024). Gamification in English as second language (ESL) learning: A systematic review. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 13(4), 1538–1553. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v13-i4/24069
Chan, S., & Lo, N. (2024). Enhancing EFL/ESL instruction through gamification: A comprehensive review of empirical evidence. Frontiers in Education, 9, Article 1395155. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1395155
Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011). From game design elements to gamefulness: Defining “gamification”. 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning future media environments (pp. 9–15). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/2181037.2181040
Ellis, R. (2012). Language teaching research and language pedagogy. Wiley-Blackwell.
Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. Palgrave Macmillan.
Gee, J. P. (2017). Teaching, learning, literacy in our high-risk high-tech world: A framework for becoming human. Teachers College Press.
Hamari, J., Koivisto, J., & Sarsa, H. (2014). Does gamification work? A literature review of empirical studies on gamification. 47th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Waikoloa, USA.
Hockly, N. (2018). Blended learning. ELT Journal, 72(1), 97–101. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccx058
Kapp, K. M. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and strategies for training and education. John Wiley & Sons.
Kapp, K. M. (2013). The gamification of learning and instruction fieldbook: Ideas into practice. John Wiley & Sons.
Larsen-Freeman, D., & Anderson, M. (2011). Techniques and principles in language teaching (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Luo, Z. (2023). The effectiveness of gamified tools for foreign language learning (FLL): A systematic review. Behavioral Sciences, 13(4), Article 331. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13040331
Marczewski, A. (2015). Even ninja monkeys like to play: Gamification, game thinking and motivational design. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Martínez-Chiong, J. (2024). El enfoque de enseñanza tradicional y el aula invertida en la enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera. Sophia Research Review, 1(3), 32-40. https://doi.org/10.64092/31fkf852
Nunan, D. (2015). Teaching English to speakers of other languages: An introduction. Routledge.
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and methods in language teaching (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Rost, M. (2002). Teaching and researching listening. Longman.
Schunk, D. H. (2020). Learning theories: An educational perspective (8th ed.). Pearson.
Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. https://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm
Zhang, S., & Hasim, Z. (2023). Gamification in EFL/ESL instruction: A systematic review of empirical research. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 1030790. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1030790
Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: An overview. Theory Into Practice, 41(2), 64–70. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15430421TIP4102_2
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Digna Ramona Delgado-Ibarra, Daniel Cima-Mesa (Autor/a)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in Revista Metropolitana de Ciencias Aplicadas (REMCA), agree to the following terms:
1. Copyright
Authors retain unrestricted copyright to their work. Authors grant the journal the right of first publication. To this end, they assign the journal non-exclusive exploitation rights (reproduction, distribution, public communication, and transformation). Authors may enter into additional agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal, provided that acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal is given.
© The authors.
2. License
The articles are published in the journal under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). The terms can be found at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en
This license allows:
- Sharing: Copying and redistributing the material in any medium or format.
- Adapting: Remixing, transforming, and building upon the material.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution: You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if any changes were made. You may do this in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses or sponsors your use.
- NonCommercial: You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
- ShareAlike: If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your creation under the same license as the original work.
There are no additional restrictions. You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
