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The integration of game-based learning (GBL) into English language education has gained significant scholarly attention over the past two decades, reflecting both the rapid growth of digital technologies and the urgent need to enhance learner motivation, engagement, and proficiency. Despite the increasing body of literature, few studies have systematically mapped the global research landscape to identify trends, influential works, and emerging themes in this field. Addressing this gap, the present study conducts a bibliometric analysis of research on game-based approaches in English language learning, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of its development and intellectual structure. Data were collected using the Scopus advanced search function with the keywords “Game-Based Learning” and “English Language Learning,” yielding a final dataset of 445 documents. To ensure accuracy, the dataset was cleaned and standardized using OpenRefine before further analysis. Descriptive statistics and publication trends were generated through Scopus Analyzer, while network visualizations of co-authorship, co-citation, and keyword co-occurrence were produced using VOSviewer software. The results reveal steady growth in publications since 2005, with a sharp increase after 2020, peaking in 2024. This reflects the heightened interest in digital pedagogy during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Taiwan, China, and Malaysia emerged as leading contributors, while highly cited works emphasized the impact of mobile, virtual, and gamified learning environments on motivation, vocabulary acquisition, and communicative competence. Co-occurrence keyword analysis highlighted six thematic clusters, including pedagogy, learner motivation, technology integration, and vocabulary learning, underscoring the field’s multidisciplinary nature. Overall, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by mapping global patterns, identifying research hotspots, and highlighting opportunities for future inquiry into the evolving role of GBL in English language learning.
Ismail et al. (Tue,) studied this question.