Investigating effects of digital gamification-based language learning: a systematic review

The purpose of this study is to investigate and synthesize the trends and key findings of the studies related to gamification as a new method in the field of learning a Foreign language (LFL) over the past 11 years. Databases including Web of Science, ERIC, and Scopus were searched for this purpose, analyzing a total of 28 articles. The research methodology of this study was a systematic review. A content analysis method was used for analyzing the selected articles. Our findings found that after 2015, the use of gamification in LFL became popular among researchers, and the number of field studies increased rapidly over the past two years (2017–2018). Additionally, quantitative methods were found to be the most frequently used research methods regarding gamification in LFL studies. In the analyzed studies, vocabulary and grammar abilities were the most commonly investigated basic language skills. In addition, English language, Duolingo, high school, and feedback were the most commonly investigated Foreign language, gamified platform, education level, and gamification element for learning a new language in the reviewed articles. More analysis disclosed challenges, as well as advantages associated with using gamification in LFL. Furthermore, in studies examined concerning the effectiveness of using gamification in LFL, the results mainly pointed to the benefits of gamification based learning. The systematic review also provides valuable recommendations for future researches and practitioners.