Mapping the integration of gamification into foreign language learning in E-learning settings: A bibliometric analysis

• Why This Study Matters for Results in Engineering The intersection of gamification, AI-enhanced e-learning, and language education represents a cutting-edge application of engineering principles—such as human-computer interaction, adaptive system design, and learning analytics—to address real-world pedagogical challenges. Our findings are particularly timely given the accelerated adoption of digital learning following the COVID-19 pandemic, where educators and policymakers urgently seek scalable, evidence-based strategies to enhance learner engagement, performance, and learning outcomes. • Key Contributions Include: Quantitative Rigor: This study uses bibliometric and visual-analytic methods to objectively identify influential journals (e.g., Computer Assisted Language Learning), authors, and institutions, while mapping thematic evolution from tool-oriented applications to AI-enhanced, learner-centered gamification emphasizing engagement, adaptive learning, and communicative competence. • Global and Equity Perspectives: Geographic and linguistic biases are highlighted (dominant contributions from China, the USA, and Spain; overrepresentation of English), underscoring the need for more inclusive research that incorporates underrepresented languages and regions, particularly in the Global South. • Actionable Roadmap: Underexplored areas, such as assessment accuracy, socioeconomic access, multilingual contexts, and AI-based personalization, are identified, providing concrete directions for future research and practice aligned with solution-oriented engineering education. • Novelty and Distinction from Prior Work: • Large-scale quantitative analysis: 720 studies analyzed, compared to typical qualitative reviews of 30–100 publications. • Temporal and thematic mapping: Identification of emergent trends such as mobile and AI-enhanced gamification (2021–2024), alongside declining focus on isolated CALL tools. • Critical gaps: Highlighting equity, measurable learning outcomes, and cross-regional representation rarely addressed in previous literature. • Practical Implications: For Educators: Design culturally and linguistically responsive gamified interventions; integrate AI-enhanced adaptive learning; prioritize measurable language proficiency outcomes. For Policymakers and Institutions: Promote cross-regional collaborations; invest in multilingual platforms and low-resource innovations; develop standardized assessment frameworks for gamified learning. • Future Directions: The study encourages further diversification of linguistic and regional representation, rigorous outcome assessment, context-sensitive implementation of gamified tools, and the adoption of AI-enhanced, learner-centered approaches that optimize engagement, motivation, and personalized learning. • Alignment with Results in Engineering ’s Scope: Your journal’s emphasis on “engineering solutions for global educational challenges” aligns closely with this work. Gamification in e-learning demonstrates how engineering disciplines—including software design, AI-driven personalization, and learning analytics—can meaningfully transform education. By publishing this study, Results in Engineering will reinforce its position as a leader in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of technology, pedagogy, and educational impact. • Conclusion: This manuscript offers a transparent, data-driven foundation for advancing gamification in FLL, with direct relevance to engineering educators, researchers, and policymakers worldwide. We are confident it will stimulate high-impact discussion, innovation, and implementation aligned with the journal’s vision. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric mapping of gamification in foreign language learning (FLL) within e-learning environments. A total of 720 publications indexed in the Web of Science (2009–2024) were analyzed using Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace to identify trends, influential contributors, thematic clusters, and collaboration patterns. Results reveal steady growth in research output, with an annual increase of 15.86% and accelerated expansion after 2020. Motivation, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), and digital game-based learning emerge as central themes, while thematic evolution shows a progression from tool-oriented applications to AI-enhanced, learner-centered gamification, emphasizing engagement, adaptive learning, and communicative competence. Citation-burst analysis indicates rising attention to classroom effectiveness, vocabulary acquisition, and personalized learning systems. China, the USA, and Spain are major contributors, although regional and linguistic disparities persist. By combining complementary bibliometric and visual-analytic methods, this study offers a transparent overview of the field and highlights directions for inclusive, outcome-focused, and technology-aware future research.