Gamification in EFL Classrooms: Enhancing Motivation and Engagement Through Play-Based Learning

Abstract

This paper explores the use of gamification as a teaching approach to stimulate interest and participation in the learning of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). This study attempts to conduct a systematic review of literature towards the ‘theoretical’ aspects of gamification to conduct a linkage with the existing motivational theories in educational psychology, given the attention that game-based components can shift the learning paradigm. It also analyzes the application of gamification in different contexts of EFL teaching and presents various games aimed at facilitating language learning. Furthermore, the paper compiles the most important findings from the available literature that studies the impact of gamification on some major affective and cognitive aspects of EFL learners, such as their motivation, participation, and even enjoyment of the learning process. In addition to the benefits of the study, there is a discussion of important issues and possible complications teachers face when trying to design and systematically implement gamification in instruction. This will lead the study to address educational objectives and the multiple needs of learners. Moreover, this study seeks to describe the complete and arguably unbiased assessment concerning the potential of gamification approaches to enrich interactivity and immersion and enhance EFL teaching and learning processes within the context of provoked changes in language education in the twenty-first century, while considering the intricacies of its effective implementation.