GAMIFICATION AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY: A CONCEPTUAL OVERVIEW AND IMPLICATIONS FOR EFL TEACHING

Abstract

This study presents a systematic literature review that investigates the research literature of gamification whether support or contradict the claims of effectiveness gamification as instructional strategy in EFL classroom and its implications on English as a Foreign Language teaching. The writers used a systematic literature review (SLR) in this study to find, assess, and combine studies regarding gamification in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching. There are fifteen articles collected by the writers regarding gamification issues across the world. The results of the review reveal that seven studies from the researchers support that gamification positively influences motivation, emotions, and engagement levels in EFL learning and reduces anxiety. While there are eight studies that contradict the gamification that this issue doesn’t consistently improve the language performance or proficiency without pedagogical alignment. This gamification presents valuable teaching implications for EFL learning but gamification should support communicative and task-based learning, avoid over-reliance on badges, points, leaderboards, focus on meaningful interaction and feedback, use gamification to reduce anxiety, especially in speaking tasks, the training is necessary for teachers in instructional design, not just technology.