Gamification in learning English as a second language: A methodological framework to improve psychobehavioural factors and speaking fluency.

This thesis aims to provide a comprehensive framework on the use of gamification in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) with in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL). In the last decade, gamification has proved to be an efficient strategy to engage people in different fields such as business or h...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Azzouz, Nadia
Tipo de recurso: tesis doctoral
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:CBUC, CESCA
Repositorio:TDR. Tesis Doctorales en Red
OAI Identifier:oai:www.tdx.cat:10803/673424
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10803/673424
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Academic Motivation
CALL
FLA
Gamification
SLA
Speaking fluency
Ansietat
Aprenentatge de llengües assistit per ordinador
Aprenentatge de segones llengües
Fluïdesa en l’expressió oral
Motivació acadèmica
Gamificació
Educació
378
Descripción
Sumario:This thesis aims to provide a comprehensive framework on the use of gamification in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) with in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL). In the last decade, gamification has proved to be an efficient strategy to engage people in different fields such as business or health and it seems to have become an attractive motivational resource in education too. However, this technique has been embraced, often without a clear understanding of its psychobehavioural or cognitive affordances. The general aim of this dissertation is twofold. On the one hand, we explore the effects of gamification on essential psychobehavioural factors in SLA as well as on learning achievement. The variables observed include students’ Academic Motivation (AM), Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA), learning achievement in English speaking fluency and students’ attitudes towards gamification. On the other hand, we propose a ready-to-use methodological proposal, based on our empirical findings as well as on previous research evidence. The empirical research comprises a case study conducted at higher education, specifically at the Universitat d’Andorra (UdA). It includes a comparative study between a treatment group that completed a gamified English course on Moodle and a control group that did the same tasks without gamification. A mixed methodology was implemented to measure both affective and cognitive variables as well as students’ learning experiences in the gamified course. Data was collected using a pretest-posttest design and semi-structured interviews before and after the course. Then, both quantitative and qualitative results were triangulated together with research evidence from the literature. Our empirical findings show that the treatment group outperformed the control group in Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) and Academic Motivation (AM), with significant differences in ‘extrinsic motivation from external regulation’ and ‘intrinsic motivation toward achievement’. As for learning outcomes in speaking fluency, the effects of gamification seem to be inconclusive, in line with what previous authors suggest within the framework of SLA. Consequently, we advocate for further research to explore whether speaking fluency would show different results in longitudinal studies. Additionally, we discuss the role that gamification should be given in education. Finally, the dissertation concludes with a methodological proposal including a first section where the gamification design is fully described and supported by empirical research and a second section comprising teaching and learning strategies to further enhance speaking fluency.