This proves that learning a foreign language is a significant and challenging aspect of the student’s foreign language life because of limited language contact and the chance to practice the new language. Vocabulary is the first step that one must learn to communicate with others. Thus vocabulary is significant and fundamental for a person learning a new language (Alghamdi & Ahmed, 2018). Therefore, to increase the vocabulary for a student, the teacher must have a strategy to make students have the motivation of learning and create fun in learning so that the lesson becomes lively and avoid wearying. According to Mustiarini, 2021, games are one of the most exciting and fun activities for students to learn while having fun. Learning vocabularies through gamification is a motiving and fun activity as the students can have a guessing picture of the vocabularies they are learning.
Mustiarini, 2021, learning new vocabularies can be boring to learners due to lack of exposure to the new language and more so the students addicted to the modern era and those students in the young age like the high school students. Learning vocabularies is significant for learning new abilities and skills, although sometimes tasks maybe become complicated and make the students feel scary. Thus to improve vocabulary learning in children, a tutor must ensure that the learning process is appealing and leads to learners’ motivation to learn more. Therefore, teaching vocabulary for high school students is different from teaching adults and youths as high school students tend to have fun and play. A teacher must be innovative and creative in aiding the students to learn. More so, a media resource would be necessary to improve the student to retain the new vocabularies they are learning in the new language (Chen et al., 2019). The use of numerous media elements in young learners can help stimulate the learning process. The use of gamification as one of the media-based education mechanisms can help facilitate students to detain lessons more efficiently, make the learning process more attractive, and make the students motivated to learn the vocabularies of the new language. Most high school students tend to have some characteristics in the learning process where most are playful, curious, talkative, and realistic. Most of them tend to understand and remember something they have seen or see the things associated with them.
Various studies have shown that gaming in language to identify the effects on language learning. Gamification in learning new vocabularies can bring motivation among the learners and motivation. Also, gamification in learning vocabularies can create a conducive and free atmosphere in the language learning environment. This enables the students to learn, understand, and easily retain the new vocabulary (Umasugi et al., 2018). Gamification in learning makes the learning student-centered, which makes the learning process more straightforward, more stimulating, and successful. Thus, the impact of the use of gamification in learning motivates the learners and makes the process of learning English vocabulary more fun. Gamification is the process that involves actions of fun and pleasure, and thus, it would be essential to use it when learning English vocabulary.
According to Apetrei, 2018 learning vocabularies through gamification increases student learning motivation and makes vocabulary learning fun. Also, gamification makes the learning process enjoyable, which enhances the learning experience, and the use of games in learning vocabularies can be helpful for students. In case of failure during the gamification, the students may tend to give up, although they enjoy playing games. Gamification in learning has also been shown to increase learners’ participation as the learning process becomes stimulating and active. The learners feel a part of the learning, and through the game, they can test their speaking and writing skills, thus improving their motivation in the learning process. English learning of vocabularies involves student-centered activities in a non-instructional background away from the classroom to learn the new language. The use of games in the learning process has been found to positively affect the students’ vocabulary size and English language proficiency scores.
According to Nahmod, 2017 in the learning of English, vocabulary is one of the most critical parts of mastering the new language; students can express everything that they think without using grammar, although they cannot express without vocabulary. Thus, acquiring vocabulary is the most substantial task in developing a second language; acquiring language skills involves listening, speaking, reading, writing, and translating. Thus, there cannot be any communication without vocabulary, making it essential for middle school students. The objective of the teaching and learning process is to enable the students to acquire the four language skills. Thus, they need to have more vocabulary because vocabulary has a significant role in communication using the target language (Dehghanzadeh et al., 2021). Learning new vocabularies through gamification helps the students express their ideas accurately. Also, gamification helps high school learners retain new words and helps build effective vocabulary. Gamification also helps monitor the students’ progress and helps them memorize by creating practice opportunities. Even in the tutor’s absence, the students can use the gamification application to practice more about their new vocabularies and build on their four critical English skills.
References
Alghamdi, A. K., & Al Ahmed, S. (2018). Effective methods for teaching English vocabulary to Saudi female students. Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn), 12(1), 118-125.
Apetrei, T. C. (2018). “Achievement unlocked”: improving second language learning with educational gamification.
Chen, C. M., Liu, H., & Huang, H. B. (2019). Effects of a mobile game-based English vocabulary learning app on learners’ perceptions and learning performance: A case study of Taiwanese EFL learners. ReCALL, 31(2), 170-188.
Dehghanzadeh, H., Fardanesh, H., Hatami, J., Talaee, E., & Noroozi, O. (2021). Using gamification to support learning English as a second language: a systematic review. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 34(7), 934-957.
Mustiarini, A. T. (2021, January). Investigation of gamification in learning vocabulary. In Bogor English Student and Teacher (BEST) Conference (Vol. 2, pp. 21-25).
Nahmod, D. M. (2017). Vocabulary gamification vs traditional learning instruction in an inclusive high school classroom. Rowan University.
Umasugi, S., Bugis, R., & Handayani, N. (2018). The Scramble Game In Improving Students’ vocabulary at the Seventh Grade of MTS LKMD Sawa. Jurnal Retemena, 3(2), 1-10.
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