Introduction: The teaching of English as a foreign language has evolved to incorporate approaches that integrate linguistic development with intercultural and socio-emotional aspects. In this context, collaborative physical activities emerge as a strategy that promotes meaningful learning. Objective: The objective of this research was to determine the impact of collaborative physical activities on motivation and the development of intercultural competence in students’ learning English as a foreign language. Methodology: A quantitative approach was employed with an explanatory quasi-experimental design. The sample consisted of 60 basic education students divided into a control group and an experimental group. Pretests and posttests were applied, and data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics, using the Student's t-test and effect size through Cohen’s d statistic. Results: The results showed statistically significant differences between the pretest and posttest of the experimental group in levels of motivation and intercultural competence. The control group did not present relevant changes. The effect size indicated a considerable magnitude of the intervention's impact. Discussion: The findings aligned with previous studies that highlight the effectiveness of collaborative learning and the use of physical movement to foster motivation and communicative skills in English, as well as the development of intercultural competence in diverse school settings. Conclusions: Collaborative physical activities proved to be an effective pedagogical strategy for improving motivation and strengthening intercultural competence in English language teaching. Their application contributes to the design of more inclusive, dynamic, and contextualized educational practices.
Mourad et al. (Fri,) studied this question.