Mitigating Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety Through Gamified Instruction: A Case Study of Lower-Secondary EFL Learners
Keywords:
EFL learners, foreign language speaking anxiety, gamified instruction, lower-secondary education, willingness to communicateAbstract
Foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA) remains a critical affective obstacle among lower-secondary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, often resulting in severe oral inhibition and passive classroom withdrawal. This qualitative case study investigated the role of gamified instruction in mitigating speaking anxiety and elevating willingness to communicate (WTC) among lower-secondary EFL students at Universitas Bosowa’s laboratory school program. Grounded in Horwitz et al.’s (1986) Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety framework and Deterding et al.’s (2011) gamification theory, the study collected data across an eight-week intervention involving 25 eighth-grade participants using adapted FLCAS questionnaires, structured classroom observations, and semi-structured focus group interviews. The qualitative findings revealed that integrating game mechanics—specifically quest-based oral challenges, collaborative team reward structures, and iterative non-punitive feedback—significantly reduced students' fear of negative evaluation. Gamified instruction successfully reframed speaking tasks from high-stakes administrative tests to goal-oriented play, creating a psychologically safe space for spontaneous oral production. However, competitive elements such as digital leaderboards required careful calibration to avoid inducing performance anxiety among lower-proficiency learners. The study offers practical pedagogical insights for secondary language teachers seeking to implement game-enhanced strategies to foster communicative confidence.
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