Gamification Using Interactive Digital Platforms in Teaching English for Specific Purposes

Abstract

The article deals with the study of gamification using interactive digital platforms as a tool to enhance teaching English for specific purposes in higher education institutions. The relevance of the research is determined by transformational processes in modern education, digitalization of the learning environment and the decrease in students’ academic motivation. The article substantiates the need to move from reproductive methods to activity-based and motivation-oriented teaching technologies that correspond to the cognitive and psychological characteristics of the “digital natives” generation. The theoretical principles of gamification are analyzed through the prism of the Self-Determination Theory by R. Ryan and E. Deci and the “Flow” concept by M. Csikszentmihalyi, which allowed outlining the psychological mechanisms of the influence of game elements on the formation of students’ internal learning motivation. Attention is focused on autonomy, competence and social interaction as key factors of motivational engagement in mastering English for specific purposes. The article clarifies the concepts of “gamification” and “game-based learning,” defining their didactic specificity and application possibilities in the educational process. The article analyzes the results of implementing gamified methods in higher education, demonstrating the positive impact of interactive platforms on students’ motivation, engagement, long-term retention of learning material and reduction of learning anxiety. The didactic potential of interactive digital platforms as a means of implementing gamification is outlined and the examples of practical tasks focused on the development of all types of speech activity are presented. Attention is paid to the possible risks of gamification and the need to take them into account in the pedagogical design of classes. It is concluded that gamification using interactive digital platforms is an effective means of fostering stable intrinsic motivation and optimizing the educational process, and the proposed approaches can be applied in teaching English for specific purposes.