Journal of Foreign Language Education and Technology

Amina Rahman^{* *}Correspondence: Amina Rahman, Department of Foreign Language and Education, Dhaka University, Bangladesh, Email:

Author info »

Description

This research conducts a meta-analysis that examines the influence of gamification on English language proficiency within 0074he context of South Korean students. By scrutinizing 11 instances encompassing 610 participants, the investigation reveals a medium effect size, signifying that gamification holds the potential to notably elevate outcomes in English language learning. Notably, the analysis uncovers that theses yield larger effect sizes compared to journal articles. Moreover, the absence of technological components within gamified learning interventions appears to correlate with potentially more substantial effect sizes. Additionally, the incorporation of points/scores and badges/rewards manifests statistically significant effects on student learning. Remarkably, no significant differences in effect sizes were observed when evaluating variables such as grade, number of participants, duration in weeks, sessions, sessions per week, and the count of gaming elements. The findings of this study unveil varying impacts of gamification across distinct subcomponents of English proficiency, particularly in the realms of vocabulary acquisition, listening skills, and writing capabilities. Two central research inquiries are explored: Firstly, whether digital language learning contributes to cognitive advancements in foreign language education, and secondly, the pedagogical implications for cognitive enhancement in digital foreign language education. To address these inquiries, the study adopts the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses methodology to identify and analyse pertinent research articles. The review outcomes indicate that working with printed texts might yield more pronounced cognitive gains in comparison to electronic texts. Furthermore, integrating multiple senses through digital language education appears to be advantageous for cognitive development. Consequently, numerous pedagogical implications arise to foster cognitive enhancement in the realm of digital foreign language education. Initially, the alignment of techniques and strategies with students' language requisites within the digital learning environment is pivotal, whether involving traditional pen-and-paper activities or adopting a flipped classroom approach. Secondly, exposing learners to a diverse array of techniques that engage multiple sensory modalities can positively influence cognitive gains. Lastly, furnishing students with feedback remains essential to sustain their motivation and facilitate ongoing progress in foreign language studies. While acknowledging certain limitations, such as the constrained availability of research studies in this domain, the study's findings nonetheless establish a foundational groundwork for future explorations. The significance of this review stems from its unique focus, filling a gap in existing literature regarding cognitive advancements in digital foreign language education. With digital tools assuming an increasingly pivotal role in learning, further investigations are imperative to unravel their potential impact on cognitive development. Overall, this study serves as an initial stepping stone for forthcoming inquiries and underscores the necessity for continuous exploration of digital foreign language education and its implications on cognitive enrichment. Firstly, it is crucial to implement techniques and strategies that best align with students’ language needs in a digital learning environment, whether it involves pen-and-paper activities or a flipped classroom approach. Secondly, exposing students to a variety of techniques that engage multiple senses can have a positive impact on cognitive gains. Finally, providing students with feedback is essential to maintain their motivation and foster continued progress in their foreign language studies.

Acknowledgement

None.

Conflict Of Interest

None.