Use of gamification in the classroom as a motivating element for english learning as a foreign language.

Abstract

It is increasingly common to see bored, apathetic, and discouraged students in the classroom or with low motivation for learning a foreign language. This is partially explained because the current pedagogy, in English teaching as a foreign language, remains through the traditional model. A model that gives priority to memorization, repetition, construction of sentences in a certain structure, translation of texts word by word, using a set of grammar rules, and isolated vocabulary learning. At the same time, 21st-century students' interests and needs have not been considered; they use the Internet and technological devices as a resource for entertainment and fun. In the formalized learning system, teachers and educational institutions find themselves in the difficult task of competing against the various media and communication systems, which, in an attractive and increasingly innovative way, manage to capture students’ attention and keep them motivated for long periods. This is used strategically for consumption of content and products. On the one side, there are educational institutions with their traditional and boring practices, and on the other, media and new technologies provide an enjoyable learning experience. Here the key element is motivation. Anyone who effectively promotes motivation has at their disposal the fundamental element that moves people to do what they do.