The Impact of Using Games on Developing EFL Students' Speaking Skills

This study examines the effectiveness of a gamification-based teaching approach in enhancing speaking skills among students in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. The research employs a Classroom Action Research (CAR) design, implementing various interactive games and strategies to examine students’ participation and their development of speaking skills. Data were collected through pre- and post-interviews, classroom observations, questionnaires, and speaking tests. The participants consisted of 50 EFL students from a high school. The findings reveal that integrating gamification into speaking instruction significantly enhances students’ speaking performance. The results of the paired t-test demonstrate a noticeable improvement in students’ mean scores, increasing from 69.52% in the pre-test to 81.68% in the post-test. Moreover, the study suggests that gamification not only strengthens speaking skills but also positively influences students’ motivation, fostering both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Overall, the findings suggest that gamification is a promising and engaging approach for improving speaking ability in EFL classrooms. Keywords: EFL, Gamification, Motivation, Speaking Skills, Learning Environment,