The influence of gamified tasks on Chilean EFL students' speaking skills: An action research study

This study examines the impact of gamified tasks on the English-speaking skills development of fifth graders from a primary school in southern Chile. The research employed both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, utilizing an action research design. In this context, a teacher-researcher designed and implemented a three-month pedagogical innovation focused on gamified English-speaking tasks, using resources such as Mentimeter, Kahoot, Wordwall, Flippity, and ClassDojo. 12 Chilean primary school students of English as a foreign language, who were in their fifth year of school, participated in the study. The data collection techniques and instruments included a reflection journal by the teacher-researcher on her pedagogical actions during the intervention cycle, a pre and posttest of English-speaking skills, and a semi-structured interview to gather students' perceptions. The results are based on the teacher's reflection on the design and implementation of English pre-, while, and post-speaking tasks, which aimed to enhance learners' L2 communicative performance by using gamified resources. Moreover, post-intervention quantitative results revealed significant improvements in participants' L2 oral production (p < 0.05), demonstrating an increase in vocabulary, pronunciation, and interaction. Qualitatively, learners manifested positive perceptions about the pedagogical innovation, reporting higher engagement in interviews. This study supports the use of gamification as a tool for EFL oral proficiency development, although the sample size limits its generalizability. Future research could explore long-term learning and intrinsic motivation.