The Impact of Gamification-Assisted Language Learning on EFL Students’ Acquisition of Phrasal Verbs

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of Gamification-Assisted Language Learning (GALL) on learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL), with a specific focus on its influence on EFL students’ acquisition of phrasal verbs. Despite their frequent use in spoken and written English, learning phrasal verbs is perceived as highly problematic and challenging for EFL learners due to their complex syntactic and semantic properties. This study employed a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-tests to measure learning outcomes, while qualitative data were obtained via a structured questionnaire designed to explore participants’ perceptions of GALL. Divided into experimental and control groups, 52 EFL students were introduced to phrasal verbs either through GALL or the conventional approach. The results revealed a significant difference in phrasal verb acquisition between the two groups, with the experimental group exhibiting superior performance in the post-test. Furthermore, participants in the experimental group expressed overwhelmingly positive perceptions towards GALL, which highlights its efficacy in enhancing performance, increasing motivation, reducing anxiety, while also improving interaction, monitoring progress, and fostering a sense of competition. The significant potential of the GALL approach in overcoming the challenges encountered by EFL learners while acquiring phrasal verbs provides empirical evidence of its ability to create engaging and meaningful learning contexts, and offers practical implications for educators, curriculum developers, and researchers.