POTENTIAL OF GAMIFICATION IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING: KEY BENEFITS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Abstract

The article focuses on the importance of the gamification aspects, including its motivational and managerial effects, optimization strategies, and modeling techniques. The authors emphasize that both foreign and Ukrainian scientists recognize the significant potential of gamification in the educational process, contributing to its increased effectiveness. According to the authors’ point of view, in a globalized society, learning a foreign language is essential for understanding and interacting with the world around us. Foreign languages play a special role because they are universally used for social, cognitive, and communicative purposes. Establishing an authentic and intrinsic perspective during all phases of foreign language acquisition is of great importance. This motivates scientists to explore new educational impacts, which include using games as a versatile method for learning, cognition, and self-expression. The article aims to highlight the effectiveness of gamification as a universal tool for enhancing the educational process. Many scientists underline that gamification is able to upgrade communicative skills, and they prove that digital games affect students' strategic action, critical thinking, motivation, and metacognition. The new generation requires modern methods and approaches, whereas teachers have to be prepared to work with new terms, ideas, and concepts, taking into account the digitalization of our society. The authors describe the potential of gamification in English language teaching as vast and multifaceted. They suggest such key benefits: enhanced engagement, motivation and interest, contextual learning, immediate feedback, retention and memory, promotion of communication skills, cultivation of critical thinking, reduced anxiety, and long-term engagement. The study demonstrates that gamification stands as a transformative force in English language teaching. Its ability to infuse interactivity and engagement into the learning process has the potential to reshape the way we approach education. According to the authors’ point of view, this innovative approach not only captivates learners but also empowers them to take an active role in their own educational journey, ultimately leading to more profound and enduring language proficiency. Future research on gamification will be devoted to exploring innovative strategies for optimizing its implementation in diverse learning environments.