The impact of gamified vocabulary instruction on foreign language anxiety and learner wellbeing: Evidence from undergraduate EFL classrooms

Vocabulary learning constitutes a core component of second language acquisition, yet it is frequently associated with heightened anxiety and reduced learner wellbeing, particularly in examination-oriented EFL contexts. Gamified instruction has been proposed as a pedagogical approach capable of enhancing engagement while mitigating affective barriers; however, empirical evidence examining its combined effects on linguistic and psychological outcomes remains limited in higher education settings. This study investigated the impact of gamified vocabulary instruction on vocabulary learning, foreign language anxiety, and learner well-being among undergraduate EFL learners. Employing a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design, data were collected from 240 students across eight intact class sections. Four sections received gamified instruction, while four followed non-gamified instructional practices. A vocabulary knowledge test and questionnaires measuring foreign language anxiety and learner wellbeing were administered before and after a six-week instructional intervention. Quantitative analyses revealed that learners in the gamified condition showed greater vocabulary gains, lower posttest anxiety, and higher posttest wellbeing than learners in the non-gamified condition. The between-group effects were large for vocabulary learning (d = 1.05), foreign language anxiety (d = 0.99), and learner wellbeing (d = 1.03). These findings suggest that gamified vocabulary instruction may support both cognitive and affective dimensions of language learning, although the results should be interpreted cautiously in light of the quasi-experimental design, short intervention period, and reliance on self-report measures for affective outcomes.