Games

Available online at IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education) Website:
http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee
THE BENEFITS OF GAMIFICATION IN THE ENGLISH LEARNING CONTEXT

Eka Fajar Rahmani
Received: 24th Maret 2020; Revised: 7th May 2020; Accepted: 28th June 2020
ABSTRACT
This study aims at displaying the results of reviewing research-based articles about gamification
in the context of learning English. The concept of games has changed from a self-entertainment
into an edutainment through adjustments and modifications. This notion is adapted by teachers in
big countries such as Poland, China, and the US to enhance their English class with surprisingly
ensuing positive results (Rothwell & Shaffer, 2019). These results have triggered the writer to find
out more about the benefits of gamification and to conduct qualitative research through the
review process. The writer collected and analyzed thirteen relevant articles from journals and
websites. The results indicated that gamification indeed brought benefits to students. The
foremost results included motivation improvement, promoting positive attitudes and better
performances, fostering 21st-century skills and better cognitive achievements, encouraging social
interaction and independencies, and improving competitiveness among students during the
learning process.
Key Words: English learning; gamification; teaching
ABSTRAK
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memaparkan hasil dari telaah artikel berbasis riset tentang gamifikasi pada
konteks pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris. Konsep permainan telah berubah dari hiburan mandiri menjadi
edutainment melalui penyesuaian dan modifikasi. Konsep ini, terutama permainan online, diadaptasi oleh
para guru di negara-negara besar seperti Polandia, China, dan US untuk meningkatkan aktifitas kelas
Bahasa Inggris mereka dengan yang hasil positif yang mengejutkan (Rothwell & Shaffer, 2019). Hasil ini
menjadi motivasi penulis untuk menggali lebih dalam tentang manfaat gamifikasi dalam pembelajaran
Bahasa Inggris sehingga penulis melakukan penelitian kualitatif melalui proses review. Penulis telah
mengumpulkan dan menganalisa tiga belas artikel yang relevan dari jurnal dan situs web. Hasil analisa
menunjukkan bahwa gamifikasi memang bermanfaat bagi siswa. Manfaat yang paling utama yaitu
meningkatkan motivasi dan penampilan yang baik, mengembangkan keterampilan Abad 21, mendorong
interaksi social dan kebebasan, serta meningkatkan daya saing antar siswa selama pembelajaran.
Kata Kunci: Pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris; gamifikasi; pengajaran
How to Cite: Rahmani, E.F. (2020). The Benefits of Gamification in the English Learning Context. IJEE (Indonesian
Journal of English Education), 7(1), 32-47. doi:10.15408/ijee.v7i1.17054
IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 7 (1), 2020, 32-47

P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v7i1.17054
This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 7 (1), 2020
INTRODUCTION namely Dunder Mifflin Infinity in and

Chore Wars (Christians, 2018). The
Today's learners are very close to results were convincing that then in
technology. They even are labeled as 2009, the company developed Quest to
digital natives because they get along Learn, a game to gamify learning
very well and cannot be separated from environment for sixth graders with the
it (Kriyakova, Yordanova, & Angelova, purpose to see if the product could
2014). The product of technology that is foster the children's skill in preserving
most frequently used by students is information. From this to these days,
games. One study conducted by Basler gamification has now developed,
& Dostal (2015) mentioned that researched, reviewed, and implemented
students at the age of teenagers spent more often in academic areas.
averagely eight to ten hours in a day
Experts define gamification as an
playing games, either online or offline.
It can be learned from the study that innovation in learning which integrates
there is a close relationship between the game features to non-game
environments (Deterding, Khaled,
students and the games that they spent
most of their days playing them. This Nacke, & Dixon, 2011; Kriyakova,
Yordanova, & Angelova, 2014; Healey,
would bring great effects on the aspects
of their lives, not to exclude their school 2018). Gamification employs a well-
designed digital and non-digital games
lives. If teachers are not aware of this,
there will be a wide gap that can cause to stimulate learners' language, which
includes elements of games or play into
conflicts between teachers and students
in learning. One of the ways to bridge the learning environment to boost
engagement and participation
this phenomenon is that the teachers
(Maloney, 2019). The nature of
have to embrace games in the learning
gamification itself is expected to
process, and implementing
gamification is the most promising one. increase the students' motivation and
commitment, as well as to bring
In the educational world, educators positive and competitive behavior to
consider gamification as a new method. them (Marczewski, 2013).
Nevertheless, principally, it was
introduced firstly in 2002 and was It refers and is in line with what
applied in 2005 by Bunchball Company has been suggested by Healey (2018) in
to motivate its employees to work more her report that gamification is designed
initially based on psychological
passionately and effectively though
designing some gamified products, perspectives. She further mentioned
http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v7i1.17054

33-47
P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license
that gamification had intrinsic and Udjaja, & Sari (2017) and Mufidah
extrinsic motivation delineated the (2016) are evidence. Although these two
desire to act, such as learning content, pieces of research had different foci and
as well as to respond or to expect for were conducted to or indifferent
specific rewards which came from self – research subjects, the results similarly
determination theory (SDT) proposed emphasized that the implementation of
by Ryan and Deci in 1985 (2018, p. 5). In gamification was a success in both
SDT viewpoint, motivation in its three enhancing learners' interests and
basic needs, so-called (1) autonomy or motivation in learning, as well as
the feeling of being in control, (2) promoting their learning achievements.
competence or the sense of building Moreover, the most surprising result
skills and developing mastery, and (3) from these researches was gamification
relatedness or connection to others, can did motivate low-achiever learners that
lead motivated people to have more they would take part in learning
interest, excitement, and confidence activities actively without hesitation,
manifesting to enhanced performance, even in speaking (Mufidah, 2016; YanFi,
persistence, and creativity which are Udjaja, & Sari, 2017).
needed by learners (Ryan & Deci, 2000;
There is one similar study
Healey, 2018).
conducted by Dehghanzadeh et al.
In its implementation, gamification (2019) entitled Using Gamification to
or game-based learning adapts game Support Learning English as A Second
elements to engage learners to take part Language: A Systematic Review. This
in learning to build learners' problem- study was a review of 22 articles about
solving skills (Kapp, 2012). In countries gamification in the ESL context. The
with high educational rank, such as results of the study mainly talked about
Ukraine, Poland, US, China, and the researches of gamification
Netherland, gamification has been implementation in ESL, including
familiarized and used by teachers, methodologies employed, types of
including English teachers that showed game applications most used by
substantial results (Glowacki, Kriukova, teachers, and discussion about the
& Avshenyuk, 2018; Rothwell & impacts of gamifications on students’
Shaffer, 2019; Antonaci, Klemke, & achievements. This study and the
Specht, 2019). In Indonesian contexts, writer’s research are similar in terms of
gamification is started to get its methodology that the writer also
familiarized, as well, despite its limited employed a reviewing technique in
researches. Studies done by YanFi, gathering and analyzing the most
34-47 http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v7i1.17054

relevant articles. However, there is a reviewing or evaluating documents -

respective gap between the writer’s both printed and electronic (computer-
research and Dehghanzadeh’s et al. that based and Internet-transmitted)
is the focus of the study. The writer in material as a means of examination and
this research was concerned more about interpretation of the data to elicit
finding out what kinds of benefits that meaning, gain understanding, and
could be obtained by the students after develop empirical knowledge. There
the English teachers implemented are thirteen most relevant articles in
gamification in the class. total, ranging from 2015 to 2019. In
details, the writer conducted three steps
Following the aforementioned
of reviewing as being suggested by
background, aimed at displaying and
Bowen (2009), which include:
describing the benefits of gamification,
the writer would present the analysis
Selecting the related articles.
results focusing on the benefits of
gamification discussed by the most This is the first step in which the
relevant articles gathered. The writer researcher selected articles about
expects that the results of the study can gamification in the English learning
be helpful to accommodate English context from electronic sources
teachers who are not familiar with or (journals and websites) ranging from
curious about gamification. Also, the 2015 – 2019. There are thirteen articles
study is expected to give broader selected: six from journals namely (1)
viewpoints of other possible Digital Education Review Journal in
approaches to conventional teachers to 2015, (2) International Journal of
be more innovative and creative to Computer Science and Mobile
promote their students’ learning. Computing in 2018, (3) Pertanika
Journal of Social Science and
Humanities in 2018, (4) British Journal
METHOD
of Humanities and Social Sciences in
Since this paper's purpose is to 2018, (5) Journal of Information
present the result of analyzing the Technology Education: Research in
content of the articles, a qualitative 2019, and (6) Computer Assisted
methodology is employed in which Language Learning Journal in 2019; one
document analysis was used in thesis from university repository that is
gathering the intended data. According Widya Mandala Catholic University
to Bowen (2009), document analysis Surabaya Repository in 2016; four
was a systematic procedure for articles from proceedings namely (1)

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CELC Symposium in 2016, (2) which congregates the benefits of

Proceedings of the IVUS International gamification implemented in the
Conference on Information Technology English learning context obtained from
in 2018, (3) International Conference on journals and websites. The details are
Computer and Information Sciences presented in the following
(ICCIS) inn 2019, and (4) Proceeding of explanations:
1st Conference of English Language
Using Gamification to Enhance
and Literature (CELL) in 2019; and two Second Language Learning
articles from teachers’ websites namely
(1) Medium in 2017, and (2) English for This is a paper published in the
Asia – TESOL in 2019. Digital Education Review Journal in
2015 by Jorge Francisco Figueroa Flores.
Analyzing the content This paper is a review of using
gamification in the ESL context. The
In this step, the writer reviewed the
paper presents the implementation of
contents of the articles. The writer
six products or games in motivating
analyzed the contents through
and promoting learners to learn a
comparison and interpretation. The
second language, namely Duolingo,
writer highlighted how gamification
Class Dojo, Edmodo, Zondle Socrative,
was implemented in each article, its
and Brainscape. The paper also displays
benefits to improve English skills and
the results of reviewing several pieces
students' profiles, and its drawbacks (if
of research related to the
any) by highlighting the contents.
implementation of gamification in ESL
Communicating the results in which one of them bravely to claim
that students' grades improved 9%, and
This is the last step of the review.
the number of students who failed the
Here the writer wrote the results of the
course decreased by 16%. Last but not
article review in the form of a table and
least, it discusses motivational
description, which can be seen in the
implications between gamification and
finding and discussion section of this
ESL from psychological perspectives.
paper.
The writer stated that learners would
get motivated as the teachers
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION implemented gamification in their
Findings teaching-learning that could be seen
holistically in its trait involving
This section presents and
elaborates on the focus of the study,

behavioristic learning, cognitive, self – and Jeopardy, in vocabulary learning

determination, interest, and emotion. amongst students in a tertiary
institution in Macau. The results
The Effect of Gamification on
English Language Anxiety and indicated that students preferred both
Grammar Achievement of these games because they were fun
and exciting. Students said that the
This paper is written by Nuria games could facilitate their vocabulary
Mufidah, published in the Widya retention. The results of this study had
Mandala Catholic University Surabaya shown that gamification could help
Repository in 2016. This is a thesis that build up students' competitive spirits
focuses on finding out whether Digital and can increase their cognitive and
Game-Based Learning would reduce social growth. Moreover, gamification
foreign language anxiety and promote implementation improved students'
grammar achievement amongst attitudes towards language learning. It
students of STIKES Surabaya who were confirmed the appropriateness of
preparing for an English proficiency gamification was believed to enhance
test. Significantly, the result of the learning.
research indicated that gamified
learning brought positive impacts to the Gamified EFL Instruction: An
learners. The researcher mentioned that Overview of the Most Recent
Research Trends
the gamified learning activities that she
used were effective in promoting This paper, written by Vilma
students' grammar achievements, as Mikašytė, was presented and published
well as to enhance students' in Proceedings of the IVUS
engagement in the preparation class. International Conference on
Their anxiety was seemingly reduced Information Technology (IVUS 2018) in
based on the five-points of foreign Kaunas, Lithuania, on April 27, 2018.
language anxiety suggested by Young. This article provided an overview of six
gamified learning environments,
Use of Gamification in
Vocabulary Learning: A Case namely The Conference Interpreter,
Study in Macau Near East University Children's Story
Teller (NEUCST), Problem-based
This article was written by Sze Lui English listening game, Task-based
Lam, presented and published in the learning AR educational game and Self-
CELC Symposium in 2016. This article directed learning AR educational game,
focused on finding out the use of Web Happy English Learning System,
2.0 games, namely Fling the Teacher
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OpenSimulator Project-CLILiOP gamification was applied. The overall

(Content and Language Integrated result indicated that the use of
Learning in Opensimulator Project) Gamification based English Vocabulary
which were developed for teaching learning technique had successfully
English as a foreign language (EFL) motivated and encouraged learners to
published in top scientific journals in continue learning English vocabularies
2017. The results revealed that students effectively. In details, the students
who played those educational games responded to "agree" response to all the
obtained significantly better results positive statements, and "disagree" to
than those who received conventional the weaknesses or negative comments.
EFL instruction. In gamified learning, From the data, it can be learned that the
the number of instruction was reduced; games had increased students'
and there was more emphasis on self- performances in all aspects, particularly
regulated learning. The result was the in the elements of encouraging students
six educational games that conformed to interact and communicate with an
with the student-centered educational average of 9.57; and motivating
paradigm had been successfully environment with the proportion of 9.1.
empowering learners to control their These numbers proved that gamified
learning process. It also had improved learning was compelling to help boost
21st-century skills such as critical students' learning.
thinking, problem-solving, creativity,
Kahoot! It: Gamification in Higher
innovation, media literacy, ICT literacy, Education
flexibility, initiative, and self-direction.
This paper is written by Debbita
Development of a Gamification Tan Ai Lin, Ganapathy, and M. Manjet
Based English Vocabulary Mobile
Kaur, published in the Pertanika
Learning System
Journal of Social Science and
This paper is written by Olutayo Humanities in 2018. This paper focused
Boyinbode, published in the on investigating Kahoot! as the
International Journal of Computer gamified product to boost the learning
Science and Mobile Computing environment among English learners in
(IJCSMC Journal) in 2018. This paper higher education in Malaysia. The
was presenting the result of the English result indicated that the students found
performance amongst undergraduate Kahoot! beneficial in inducing
students of Nigeria, especially their motivation and engagement, as well as
vocabulary mastery, improved after fostering and reinforcing learning for

both theoretical and practical aspects. that, but the students' satisfaction also
The results reflected the respondents' showed similar results; it grew 48%
attitudes towards Kahoot! was notably from 30% to 78% after gamification was
positive, with a percentage of 100%. used. Additionally, the students' scores
They experienced that Kahoot! could in pre-test and post-test increased, as
bring effectiveness in their academic well, and the problems found in pre-
context. 98% of them found that tests such as mispronunciation,
Kahoot! interesting, fun, and enjoyable; grammar error, fluency, speed, and
meanwhile, 96% answered that Kahoot! limited conversations, were minimized
brought the atmosphere of significantly.
competitiveness that they were
The Role of Gamification
triggered to do each Kahoot! session. Techniques in Promoting Student
The Impact of Using Games on Learning: A Review and
Developing Saudi Female EFL Synthesis
Students’ Speaking Skills This paper is written by Islam
This paper is written by Wafa K. Alomari, Hosam Al-Samarraie, and
Alfulaih, published in the British Reem Yousef, published in the Journal
Journal of Humanities and Social of Information Technology Education:
Sciences in 2018. This paper was a Research in 2019. This article was a
research-based study that investigated review of 40 previous studies on the
the efficacy of students' speaking ability role of gamification techniques in
using gamification teaching style in promoting students' learning. The
Saudi English Foreign Language (EFL) results indicated that gamification
Female Speaking classes. It was a techniques differently shaped students'
Classroom Action Research (CAR) that learning. The data analyses were
involved 50 participants of Saudi presented in the form of a bar chart that
female EFL students at Saudi Electronic displayed the gamification techniques,
University (SEU). The results of the including points, badges, leaderboards,
study indicated that gamification was levels, rewards, progress bar
advantageous to improve students' challenges, feedbacks, and avatars. In
speaking skills, respectively. It was detail, there were the top three
mentioned that students' attitudes and techniques that gained the highest
motivation to speak English enhanced percentages. The most one went to
by 20% from 60% to 80% after points (75%) in which the studies
implementing gamification. Not only suggested that the point-based system

39-47
could help motivate students to engage game for English language learning a
in a sharing network that was accepted SWOT analysis with 49 participants in
by the other group members total. The results, which were divided
enthusiastically. The second was into three parts (strengths,
badges (68%), which could increase the opportunities, and weaknesses),
social interaction amongst students showed that both gamified learning
because they spent more time and and serious games would create a joyful
devoted more effort to solving cases by ambiance, as well as a pleasant and
exchanging ideas that could promote relaxed place for learning. Students
positive attitudes in their performance. who were involved in these two
The last was leaderboards (38%). learning contexts were attracted to
Leaderboards expanded students' learn and felt better involved in the
achievements by building a sense of classroom. They enhanced their
competition amongst them, creating a confidence in English skills, especially
social comparison among the learners, speaking one. By using high
which motivated them to increase their technologies as learning material, the
contribution rate; and based on the students formed a framework that
spirit of reputation they might attain language courses were following the
when they got a higher rank as technological frame which better fit
compared with others. Even though the their own needs causing them to foster
rest of the gamification techniques was creativity and led to discover their
less utilized in promoting students' motivation to learn. From the three
performance in learning English, they parts of the data display, strengths got
still had a contribution to motivate the highest points, followed by
students to learn. opportunities. There were weaknesses
of gamified and serious games, but they
Using Gamification and Serious
Games for English Language could be overcome in such a way that
Learning could be considered as a no significant
deal aspect.
This article is written by Nacim
Yanes, and Ikram Bououd, presented Using Gamification to Support
and published in Conference: 2019 Learning English As A Second
Language: A Systematic Review
International Conference on Computer
and Information Sciences (ICCIS) in This paper is written by Hojjat
2019. The paper presented the results of Dehghanzadeh, Hashem Fardanesh,
utilizing gamification and a serious Javad Hatami, Ebrahim Talaee, and

Omid Noroozi, published in Computer attitudes and perceptions towards

Assisted Language Learning journal in Kahoot It! as the learning platform for
2019. This paper is a systematic review students. The writer mentioned that
that analyzed 22 publications dating while Kahoot It! was being used by the
from 2008 to 2019. The results of the teachers, the students were highly
study indicated that none of the articles motivated to engage in the learning
or publications talked about the activity. They were triggered to take
negative impacts or weaknesses of part in all learning sections, including
implementing gamification. Being quizzes actively. This result was
enjoyable, engaging, motivating, and supported by previous researches that
fun were the behaviors exposed to also indicated similar results.
gamified LESL environments. The
How to Gamify Your English
learning outcomes were targeted to Class: Teaching Teens in the 21st
meet content language learning, Century
engagement, motivation, and
satisfaction. There presented various This article is written by Elena
gamified learning instructions and Persada in her blog named Medium,
products from the 22 articles being published on March 31, 2017. Elena was
reviewed. Among all publications, 13 an English teacher who was dealing
articles reported that the learning with teenagers. She found out that it
experiences of learners for gamified was not easy to control students'
LESL were positive, particularly the behavior when they disliked the
content language learning such as learning environment. They mostly
vocabularies (15 papers), grammar (5 became hyperactive or misbehavior
publications), pronunciation (4 papers), when they did not feel like to engage
speaking (5 papers), writing (3 papers), with conventional activities. Then, the
listening (4 papers). teacher applied gamification in her
classroom after reading many threads
Gamification to Improve and articles about the power of
Students’ Engagement in Learning gamification to boost students'
English
performances and achievements in
This paper is written by Hadirotun learning. In her article, she wrote that
Nikmah, published in Proceeding of 1st she experienced positive results after
Conference of English Language and implementing gamified learning. The
Literature (CELL) in 2019. The research students' behavior was constantly
focused on describing students' changing. The students started working

41-47
hard and even asked for extra students failed, probably the teaching
assignments. or the learning environment was not
supportive enough to make them
Moreover, the weaker ones gained
successful. After implementing
confidence and improved their
gamification, she bravely claimed that
performance. The writer noted that
digital games were excellent catalysts
even parents got the ambiance that they
for collaborative work and sharing
were happy since their children were
experiences. In her article, the writer
highly motivated to do their English
also provided some steps to gamify
homework. This article also provided
learning without digital actions to
steps on how to gamify the English
support the teachers who probably
classes and explained how the elements
were not supported by digital
of games (e.g., points, badges, levels,
equipment.
and leaderboards) were effectively used
in her class. The analysis of the articles above
indicated there are four main benefits of
Gamification in English Language
Teaching: More Than Child's Play gamifications in English learning. The
first and foremost benefit that
This article is written by Sharon gamification has brought to students is
Maloney, published in English for Asia related to motivation. It is found out
– TESOL blog on July 2, 2019. This 75% or nine out of thirteen articles
article was a thread from a teacher who being analyzed indicated that gamified
had implemented gamification in her learning is propitious to motivate
English class. She experienced quite students to learn English (Flores, 2015;
similar situations with other teachers Mufida, 2016; Peresada, 2017;
that her students were demotivated, Boyinbode, 2018; Lin, Ganapathy &
stultifying, and bored during the Kaur, 2018; Dehghanzadeh et al., 2019;
course. She mentioned that a well – Yanes & Bououd, 2019; Alomari, Al-
designed game could be more potent Samarraie & Yousef, 2019; Alfulaih,
than any other teaching strategies. 2019).
"Traditional methods of education no
longer work because they are designed The second benefit is in line with
for students to be fundamentally the positive attitudes and better
passive," she said. This statement was performance of the students during the
against the nature of children, which class. The gamified activities leaped the
was playful, cheerful, and active. She, barrier between active and passive
furthermore, emphasized that if the learners so that the learners were no

more anxious to engage in the learning Dehghanzadeh et al., 2019; Alfulaih,

process (Alfulaih, 2019; Lin, Ganapathy 2019).
& Kaur, 2018; Mufidah, 2016). The
The fourth benefit is gamification
number of active learners had
promotes social interaction and
improved significantly (Yanes &
independencies, as well as increases
Bououd, 2019; Alomari, Al-Samarraie,
competitive spirit. The elements of
& Yousef, 2019; Peresada, 2017;). They
gamification are the factors that could
also devoted more effort to
empower students’ social skill because
participating in the activities to succeed
they were given opportunities to solve
(Alomari, Al-Samarraie, & Yousef,
given cases through exchanging ideas
2019). Nevertheless, they showed
that forced them to interact actively and
decent attitudes and good responses
use prior knowledge to accomplish the
when gamified learning was being
tasks that led them finally to be more
implemented (Mufidah, 2016; Mikasyte,
competent and independent in learning
2018; Samarrie & Yousef, 2019;
English (Lam, 2016; Lin, Ganapathy, &
Dehghanzadeh et al., 2019).
Kaur, 2018; Alomari, Al-Samarraie &
The third one is related to 21st- Yousef, 2019).
century skills and better cognitive
achievements. The skills which Discussion
included critical thinking, problem- Since Bunchball Company
solving, creativity, innovation, media introduced and published the success of
literacy, ICT literacy, flexibility, Quest to Learn, a game to gamify
initiative, and self-direction were found learning environment for sixth graders,
in the gamified activities (Mikasyte, the gamification approach started to be
2018; Persada; 2017). These skills foster known widely in education (Christian,
practical and theoretical aspects of 2018). Its potency to promote learning
learning (academic) such as better achievement, especially in English
scores and performance in grammar, acquisition, is indisputable (Kriyakova,
vocabulary, speaking skill (including Yordanova, & Angelova, 2014). English,
fluency, mispronunciation, speed, and which is considered boring and difficult
limited conversation), reading, writing, to be acquired by foreign learners,
and in using technology to assist turned out to be more exciting. The
learning (Flores, 2015; Mufidah, 2016; thirteen articles analyzed in this paper
Lam, 2016; Mikasyte, 2018; Boyinbode, have demonstrated and confirmed the
2018; Lin, Ganapathy & Kaur, 2018; benefits of gamification in English
acquisition. Although the participants,
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interests, and the setting are different, tended to be much livelier. During the
the articles shared comparable activities, there were no gaps between
advantages of gamification that are high English achievers and low English
summed up into four main benefits: achiever students. All the students
improving motivation, promoting engaged in the activities, and no one
positive attitudes and better was anxious to take part in the class
performances, promoting 21 -century
st (Alfulaih, 2019; Lin, Ganapathy & Kaur,
skills and better cognitive 2018; Mufidah, 2016). They spoke
achievements, and encouraging social English much more often than before
interaction, independencies, and gamification was implemented Flores,
competitive spirits. 2015; Mufidah, 2016; Lam, 2016).
Besides that, the badges used in the
According to the findings above,
games have helped improving social
the students who did not find learning
interaction and competitive spirit
interesting at first turned out to gain
among students. As a result, the
much interest in every exercise, tasks,
students had higher opportunities to
or projects; and they even asked for
enhance social competence shown by
extra assignments to do (Peresada,
seamless interactions, as well as to
2017) while the gamified learning being
improve English competencies proven
implemented. This behavior change
by better scores and performance in
indicated an improvement in the
grammar, vocabulary, speaking skill
intrinsic motivation amongst students.
(including fluency, mispronunciation,
They developed fully self-regulated
speed, and limited conversation),
learning (independence in learning) to
reading, writing, and in using
engage in activities out of interest, as
technology to assist learning (Flores,
well as to experience a sense of volition
2015; Mufidah, 2016; Lam, 2016;
(Ferreira, Cardoso, & Abrantes, 2011).
Mikasyte, 2018; Boyinbode, 2018; Lin,
The results also emphasized that
Ganapathy, & Kaur, 2018;
motivated learners would react
Dehghanzadeh et al., 2019; Alfulaih,
positively to psychological aspects such
2019).
as behavioristic learning cognitive, self-
determination, interest, and positive
emotion (Flores, 2015). CONCLUSION
Moreover, in terms of attitudes and This study has confirmed that

classroom performances, the class gamification is indeed beneficial for
where gamifications were implemented students in the English class. It appears
to be the solution for an unsuccessful

and passive learning environment as it Basler, J., & Dostal, J. (2015). Research of the
is beneficial to assist teachers in amount of time spent playing
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Available online at IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education) Website:

THE BENEFITS OF GAMIFICATION IN THE ENGLISH LEARNING CONTEXT

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 7 (1), 2020, 32-47

INTRODUCTION namely Dunder Mifflin Infinity in and

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v7i1.17054

34-47 http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v7i1.17054

relevant articles. However, there is a reviewing or evaluating documents -

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v7i1.17054

CELC Symposium in 2016, (2) which congregates the benefits of

36-47 http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v7i1.17054

behavioristic learning, cognitive, self – and Jeopardy, in vocabulary learning

OpenSimulator Project-CLILiOP gamification was applied. The overall

38-47 http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v7i1.17054

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v7i1.17054

40-47 http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v7i1.17054

Omid Noroozi, published in Computer attitudes and perceptions towards

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v7i1.17054

42-47 http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v7i1.17054

more anxious to engage in the learning Dehghanzadeh et al., 2019; Alfulaih,

Moreover, in terms of attitudes and This study has confirmed that

44-47 http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v7i1.17054

(ICEEPSY 2011) (pp. 1707-1714). 19/07/gamification-english-

46-47 http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v7i1.17054

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v7i1.17054

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