On the Improvement of EFL Students' Virtual Interaction via Game-based Tasks

The role of games in improving EFL students’ motivation to participate in interactive practices has been highly emphasized in past research. Although Iranian students are reluctant to interact in online language classes, the current study explored the impact of using game-based tasks on Iranian students' virtual interaction in EFL classes. The subjects included 35 female students in the seventh grade of a junior high school in Tabriz, Iran were selected by convenience sampling method. Classroom Action Research was conducted in four stages: planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. Innovative game-based activities, such as Roleplay, This or That, Café Owner, and Let's Make Salad were used to improve students’ interaction. Interviews, tests, and class observations were used to collect and triangulate the data. In this study, descriptive statistics were used to analyze the obtained data. The findings revealed that the use of games could improve students’ interaction in online language classes. The results can yield useful implications for language teachers and materials developers in increasing EFL students' virtual interaction through different game-based techniques.