A Gamified Mobile App for Learning Linguistics: Applying Software Design and Thinking to Educational Engagement

This thesis explores how mobile app technologies—particularly gamification, adaptive learning algorithms, and user-centered UI/UX design—can be used to make linguistics education more accessible and engaging. Drawing on recent scholarship in educational technology and human-computer interaction, I developed a React Native-based mobile application that introduces users to core linguistic concepts such as phonetics, syntax, and semantics through interactive mini-games. The academic component of this thesis synthesizes research on best practices in educational app design and documents the full design and development process. The project demonstrates how creative computer science work can be informed by scholarly literature while producing a functional tool that contributes to the broader field of educational technology.