Gamification Techniques and the Impact on Motivation, Engagement, and Learning Outcomes in ESL Students

Abstract

Gamification has been used in numerous apps for commercial purposes for years and shows great potential in various educational settings, particularly for ESL students in low-resource contexts using online platforms. Given that, gamification may be a handy tool for language teachers, whether in online or face-to-face settings. This has led to a growing focus in recent research examining how the technology can keep students motivated and engaged and the educational settings that benefit the most from this approach. This review focuses on literature published in the last eight years regarding gamification and its impacts on student motivation and engagement, with a particular interest in its potential for teaching English as a second language (ESL). The methods used comply with the SANRA scale for the quality assessment of narrative review articles. Keywords included gamification, ESL, low-resource settings, student engagement, language learning, and educational technology. Databases searched included JSTOR, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The resulting articles were then reviewed for relevance to the topic. Inclusion criteria eliminated articles older than ten years, those not published in English and full-text format, and those not focusing on gamification as a learning tool. The results indicate that gamification is an effective tool in the ESL classroom, whether conducted online or face-to-face. It is essential to ensure that materials are culturally sensitive, include both collaborative and individual tasks, and that teachers receive appropriate training in using this technology. KEYWORDS: gamification, ESL, low-resource settings, student engagement, student motivation, language learning, educational technology and curriculum design