GAMIFICATION - The use of KAHOOT! in the classroom (English as a foreign language).

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze how motivation can help students in the process of English as a Foreign Language Acquisition (L2), limiting the research on the spectrum of motivation and the use of Kahoot! in the classroom. The current article is based on Language Acquisition theory and deals with the following question: Does the use of games in classrooms provide any benefits to the acquisition of L2? In order to analyze the problem question, the methodology used in this article was qualitative. The selected game analyzed for this study was the game-based student response system Kahoot!. A perception questionnaire was applied to the use of the game Kahoot! in High School English language classes. The research sampled students from a third-grade of High School class at the public reference school in High School named Ginásio Pernambucano (GP). The instrument used for data collection was the Google Forms digital platform. The results demonstrated that the students who responded to the survey felt the benefits of Kahoot! as a more healthy competitive and dynamic class in the classroom, which shows that motivation and healthy competition were essential for interaction during the learning process. This study concludes that pedagogical practices are frequently updated, and researchers face challenges daily and seek solutions to the technological changes we face as students and teachers. Despite all these challenges, learning any language or subject can happen in a funnier way, avoiding stressful and demotivating contexts.