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Gamification in education has become a very popular method for engaging more learners and increasing student participation in classrooms. Including gamification in teaching English can have a positive outcome. 

Yes, indeed, this method can bring great outcomes in education, especially when it comes to teaching the English language. So, a question may arise in your mind: How is gamification in teaching English beneficial? 

So, in this blog, you will get all your answers. From how to level up your language teaching, ways to implement gamification in the classroom, and the challenges of including gamification in teaching English, we will discuss them all.  

The Role of Gamification in Teaching English

Gamification depends on the teacher’s ability and the student’s cooperation. Currently, the education system is using several ways to help learners enjoy the learning process and to engage in different classrooms. 

Many teachers have started applying game elements in the learning process, such as experiments, imitation and puzzles to boost their interest. Also, they increase the learners’ engagement during the language teaching session. This kind of interaction between the teacher and the student helps the learner to gain knowledge and become familiar with it. This is the greatest reason why gamification has become so popular and valuable for the education system. 

Gamification elements in the field of education include successful game designs that facilitate interaction with students and educate them with entertainment. The designs should enable the learners to gulp knowledge related to English. Using gamification in teaching English is totally changing the learning experience. Gamification, when used correctly, can be a powerful tool for guiding the process of teaching to good effect. If gamification is used carefully teachers can guide the entire teaching schedule and the environment of the classroom. 

Benefits of Gamification in Teaching English:

Gamification can benefit English teachers in many ways. Some benefits include increased participation, better engagement, and better motivation for students. Thus, gamification in teaching English makes the language learning process fun and ensures interactive learning environments. Now, let’s elaborate on this a little. 

More participation of learners:

Gamification in teaching English can encourage learners to participate. Different gamification elements give the learners a chance to work collaboratively with peers, team work skills, and communicate in English. Also, the benefit offers an engaging and enjoyable learning experience and enhances their language skills. 

Increase engagement and motivation:

Games are something that has the power to encourage learners’ engagement. Moreover, they can enhance their motivation with the material and complete tasks with fun. Using gamification in teaching English ensures instant feedback, as it immediately boosts the confidence of the learners. Thus, positive results through rewards, too help to gain interest and engagement of the learners in the learning process. 

Fun and interactive learning environment:

By including game elements such as levels, points, badges etc, gamification in teaching English can create a positive learning experience. 

Memory:

Gamification in teaching English can help in better memorization. Including game elements such as memory games, matching games, and flashcards can help the learners observe new vocabulary and form sentence structure more effectively. In 2013, a study by Huang & Soman published in the Journal of Education Technology & Society found that gamification in teaching has the ability to enhance the memory of the learner. 

Vocabulary building:

Games are certainly fun, and when games are included in vocabulary learning, English teachers can be very effective. However, when each word repeats in different contexts within the games, it helps the student remember and understand the application of new vocabulary. A study by Turgut and Irgin in 2009 found that gamification in teaching English can help enhance vocabulary. 

Grammar:

Gamification in teaching the English language can be very engaging. Teaching language through games helps students understand tough grammars in simple and enjoyable ways. In “Procedia, a study published – Social & Behavioural Science” found that gamification improves students’ understanding and use of grammar. 

Reduce stress:

Games in the learning process are more enjoyable. Therefore, it has the capacity to reduce stress. Traditional classroom settings can be very anxious. Hence, in such cases, gamification can be beneficial. 

Why is Gamification in Teaching English Necessary in the 21st Century? 

Traditional English teaching is based on direct teaching methods. Teachers give knowledge, and students receive it while the teacher is an initiator. Students sit in their own place and listen to the teacher without any questions or interaction. 

However, English teaching requires specific teaching and learning methods for different situations, such as the theory of language learning and the needs of learners. Gamification elements and effective ways to use them can help in this matter. 

Recently, gamification in teaching English or other subjects has become popular due to many reasons. It allows the learners to enjoy the learning process in the form of cartoon images, audio, video, tablets etc. Also, the learners embrace any kind of game. Moreover, through games, learners gain knowledge easily and understand complex problems in simple ways.

If a student sits in the classroom for 45 minutes, he must get bored or not willing to sit that longer and try to escape from the classroom. On the other hand, when he participates in any game then, he may not realize the time and have mastered the knowledge. 

Final Words

However, gamification is the most used learning method in our daily life. It can boost learners’ education results by making them interested in learning, keeping them motivated and keeping them engaged. Gamification has the power to transform once dull learning schedule into an exciting, fun and engaging experience. 

Gamification in teaching English includes game elements in classroom settings to increase motivation and engagement. Teachers use game elements in classroom activities. Thus, learners nowadays prefer gamified learning experiences.

FAQs

What is gamification in education? 

Gamification in education is a highly scalable and modular concept. It is a method that incorporates game element design into the learning process to make it more interactive and engaging for students. 

What is an example of gamification? 

Wristwatches that track a user’s biometrics and fitness progress are an example of a gamification element. Also, there are gamified assessment forms. They allow an educator to create format assessments quickly to check students’ understanding, like by creating multiple choice questions. Moreover, through a web browser or app, students can easily log in to those platforms.  

What are the benefits of gamification in education? 

Gamification in education helps in increasing the student’s engagement, fast learning with challenges, etc. Also, it helps in being more competitive and ensures long-term retention and motivation. So, these are the overall benefits of using gamification in teaching English and other subjects.