O gamification em escolas de idiomas: dificuldades e direcionamentos para sua aplicação

Abstract

Through exploration of visuals, commands, and language that are characteristics of the gamer universe, gamification came to light as a path to solve problems and to increase engagement in specific audiences. The main theme of this paper is related to an analysis of the use of these gamification strategies in an English language classroom, specifically one which there are students of various ages. Thus, the major purpose of this research is to understand how non-digital natives deal with the language of gamification and whether they assimilate it as well as digital natives. To get to the answer of that question, here is made an analysis of results of two activities, one digital and another one analog, in order to understand and compare the reactions of both audiences mentioned. The research has as leading theorists Braga and Obregon (2015) regarding to gamification, Prensky (2001) regarding the theorization about generations and digital technologies, and Deci and Ryan (2017) when they dismembered the extrinsic motivation in order to understand profoundly the Self-Determination Theory. This is a qualitative descriptive case study research, carried out in a public language school in Teresina (PI), Brazil. From the result of that analysis, it was possible to identify that the digital immigrant students had similar reactions in both activities, and faced difficulties not only in the digital gamification activity, but in both of them