Description
As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the way languages are learned and taught, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms are increasingly evolving into dynamic environments that extend far beyond traditional walls. AI features enable MALL applications such as Duolingo to offer personalized practice and flexible access beyond classrooms. Within this emerging landscape, understanding learners’ motivation is crucial, as it determines students’ engagement and the persistence required in language learning. The study aims to investigate the impact of gamified features of Duolingo on learning motivation. A mixed-methods approach following an eight-week intervention was employed. 35 B1-level students majoring in English Language Studies at a university in Vietnam participated in the study. The results revealed that the streaks, which displayed the number of consecutive days a learner had completed the lesson, were the most prominent gamified feature. Meanwhile, the feature of leaderboards had a selective impact on learning motivation. The study provided implications for teachers to incorporate balanced combinations of gamified elements and intrinsic forms of engagement. Future studies should focus on motivational features that could be sustained in the long run, personalization of gamification strategies, and artificial intelligence (AI) applications of adaptive systems to support learning autonomy without developing reward dependency.
Từ khóa
mobile-assisted language learning, gamification, Duolingo, motivation, persistence
Thông tin các tác giả
1/Lê Ngọc Phi Yến, MA. Email: yen.lnp301@gmail.com
2/Trần Vũ Diễm Thúy, Ph.D., Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages - Information Technology. Email: thuytvd@huflit.edu.vn
