This concept paper explores the relationship between gamification and Self-Determination Theory by Deci and

Ryan (1985) in the context of foreign language acquisition. Many studies indicated that foreign language

learners often struggle with engagement and motivation during language acquisition. Gamification has the

outcomes by transforming traditional learning approaches into interactive learning environments. In other

engagement.

At present, foreign language acquisition is no longer considered an additional skill but rather a necessity for

individuals to excel socially (York, 2023), academically (Sulaiman, 2020) or professionally (Sholihah et al.,

2025). However, learning a foreign language is challenging and requires a long-time commitment. Once the

initial excitement and the novelty of the new language faded or wore out, learners struggled with motivation

and became less engaged in the learning process, thus hindering the learning outcomes.

Gamification has then emerged and been identified as one of the tools that can help with learners' motivation

and engagement (Hamari et al., 2014). But gamification alone is not enough to improve declining motivation

Gamification is the use of game mechanics and game elements in a non-game context (Deterding et al., 2011).

Typical game components include awards, badges, points, levels, immediate feedback, etc. By integrating

gamification in the classrooms, educators can change the traditional learning approaches to more interactive

learning environments.

In recent years, gamification has been used widely in the domain of education to make learners more

motivated and to make learning more engaging (Dichev and Dicheva, 2017). Multiple research studies

conducted have shown that gamification makes learning more fun and enjoyable for learners (Hamari et al.,

2014).

In the domain of language learning, there are a significant number of apps (e.g., Duolingo), platforms (e.g.,

Kahoot, Quizizz) and learning systems (e.g., Moodle) that can be used to diversify language activities and also

are: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Autonomy gives an individual the freedom to choose. Competence, on the other hand, makes the individual

feel capable of achieving success. Meanwhile, relatedness gives the individual a sense of belonging. These

components have to be fulfilled and satisfied for the individual to experience a sense of well-being (Ryan &

Deci, 2000).

SDT is widely used and is also relevant in the domain of language acquisition. A research conducted by Noels

et al. (2019) showed that students learning French had a higher motivation when the components of SDT were

fulfilled. The research also indicated that the students put more effort towards language acquisition when they

feel that the activities are voluntary and self-relevant. Additionally, according to the research, the higher the

motivation, the higher the engagement of the students during the learning process.

supports the elements of SDT. When these elements are met, learners are more likely to feel motivated, which

will lead to higher engagement and produce positive language outcomes.

Figure 1 Conceptual Framework

To enable students to feel in control of their learning, they can, for example, design or customise their avatar,

decide when they want to do a task, and decide how much time they are going to spend on each task. They can

also decide whether to participate or not in the gamified language activities without any pressure.

To enable students to feel capable and competent, the gamified activities should allocate points based on their

performance and completion of the tasks. Badges should also be awarded after finishing a certain level of

difficulty (p.e. Grammar for beginner/intermediate/advanced). Leaderboards and rankings could also allow the

To foster the sense of belonging and the feeling of inclusion, the language activities can include multiplayer

tasks, peer feedback, exchange of information and sharing experiences, team competitions, etc.

Table 1 below shows examples of how gamification can be aligned with Self-Determination Theory to create

Table 1 Gamification based on SDT

Language activities, such as "Vocabulary Challenges," can help students improve their vocabulary retention.

Fun and engaging vocabulary activities can help students reinforce the words in their memory.

Grammar activities, on the other hand, can help students learn structured phrases and help improve grammar

2013).

Apart from the above limitation, there is also the question of technological constraints. Unequal access to

technology should also be considered when planning to integrate gamification in teaching. Internet access in

some rural areas is often unstable, and students from low-income households often lack smartphones.

Finally, the readiness of educators and the support from the institutions should also be taken into consideration.

Training should be given to educators who are not well-versed in technology and the importance of

gamification. Learning institutions should play a role in helping educators strengthen their teaching skills.

As discussed in the paper, gamification can become an effective and meaningful pedagogical tool when its

design

is grounded in a suitable theoretical framework. Self-Determination Theory provides a solid foundation to

design gamified activities in foreign language learning.

studies could provide several insightful pieces of information, such as how to design gamified language

activities to better meet the needs of learners or how to incorporate gamified modules into the language

classes. Educators can then integrate these improved language activities into the classroom to foster motivation

Nonetheless, the effectiveness of gamification also depends on the characteristics of the learners, their needs,

and their context. Thereby, when designing the gamified language activities, educators must take all these

performances can be realised and successfully implemented.

To conclude, the future findings of the research could contribute and be added to the growing body of

knowledge about the use of technology in language acquisition.

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