Gamification as a methodological strategy for the development of emotional competence in Spanish as a foreign language: academic self-efficacy, achievement emotions and language learning

Abstract

Games provide a meaningful context for effective language acquisition that encourages students to make the effort of learning (Wright, Betteridge and Buckby, 1984). Play is an intrinsically motivating and engaging tool that can help to reduce stress and provides language learners with opportunities for real communication while connecting with their emotions (Lengeling and Malarcher, 1997). Gamification, the integration of game mechanics and dynamics in non- game environments, has become an area of great interest for second/ foreign language acquisition researchers due to its potentiality as a motivational tool to engage learners and enhance language learning. This chapter presents a quasi- experimental design that implements a gamified treatment with forty-one Spanish as a foreign language beginners at a university in Singapore. The objective is to determine whether the treatment improves students’ emotional competence and language learning. The results show that there is a positive relationship between academic self- efficacy beliefs and achievement emotions and a significant improvement in learning. This study provides empirical evidence on the benefits of implementing gamified treatments from an emotional perspective in the field of foreign language teaching.