Learning English vocabulary through playing games: the gamification design of vocabulary learning applications and learner evaluations

Mobile-assisted language learning is a growing feature of contemporary language learning, and their distinct gamification design produces new and increasingly popular contexts for language learning. This paper explores the gamification features of the two most popular EFL vocabulary learning applications widely used by Asian learners – BaiCiZhan and Perfect Lingo. Their gamified designs are analysed based on the ‘mechanics, dynamics and aesthetics’ (MDA) model developed by Hunicke, LeBlanc, and Zubek [2004. MDA: A formal approach to game design and game research. Proceedings of the Game Developers Conference, San Jose, CA, USA, 23 November 2004. https://users.cs.northwestern.edu/∼hunicke/MDA.pdf] and Ruhi’s [2015. Level up your strategy: towards a descriptive framework for meaningful enterprise gamification. Technology Innovation Management Review 5, no. 8: 5–16. do:10.22215/timreview/918] descriptive framework for gamification applications. It further explores learners’ attitudes towards features of the gamified designs via observations and interviews. The research concludes that such mobile vocabulary learning applications are found more helpful when they present words in a multimodal way, contain more meaningful practice, adopt social interaction and reward learners with in-kind incentives. It is hoped that the study will contribute to the improvement of educational gamified applications for EFL vocabulary learning and language learning in general.