Gamification-cum-motivational Strategies in English Language Learning

Abstract

Over the past two decades, the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) has witnessed growing studies hinged on the role of gamification in language learning and teaching. In this context, I argue, little still is known about the symbiotic relationship between gamification and motivational strategies in English language learning/teaching in contexts such as Saudi Arabia. To address this critical research gap, building on the current debates on gamification in English language education and through what I term gamification-cum-motivational strategies in English language education, this paper explores how gamification could develop different motivational strategies among Saudi English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. I use a commonly played game among Saudi teenagers dubbed “Call of Duty” as a case example to explore how such gamification could enhance different motivational strategies among them. I close the paper with some pedagogical implications and concluding remakes.