How MISSION BERLIN gamified my FL/L2-German class – a six-week journey

Abstract

This paper contributes to a better understanding of the affordances of gamification in Foreign or Second Language (FL/L2) education, specifically in the context of a secondary school. An Exploratory Research (ER) was conducted, aiming to examine how gamification affects secondary school learners’ experience in the FL/L2 classroom. A six-week technology-assisted gamified mobile language course for German as a Foreign Language (GFL), called MISSION BERLIN, was developed, implemented, and evaluated. Data collection methods include semistructured focus group interviews with all students, an online survey and Moodle logs. Results indicate that there are certain game elements that are more useful in a mobile Moodle environment than others, and that structure and duration of the course, as well as technical issues, influence the students’ learning experience. The paper concludes with suggested improvements and final considerations for the implementation of a gamified mobile course for FL/L2 learning.