Gamification and digital storytelling in tertiary English and French instruction: effects on students' behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement

Purpose – The objective of this research is to investigate the synergistic effects of a gamified digital storytelling intervention on the behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement of undergraduate students enrolled in intermediate English and French second language acquisition (SLA) courses during the 2025/2026 academic year.Design/methodology/approach – A quasi-experimental, pre-test/post-test non-equivalent control group design was implemented over a 12-week semester. The sample comprised 184 tertiary students divided equally into an experimental group (gamification and digital storytelling, N = 92) and a control group (traditional communicative instruction, N = 92). Engagement was measured using an adapted 19-item version of Fredricks’ tripartite scale, validated via Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Data were evaluated utilizing Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA).Findings – The experimental cohort significantly outperformed the control group across all engagement dimensions (Wilks’ Lambda = 0.512, p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.488). Univariate tests confirmed that cognitive engagement registered the highest growth (partial η2 = 0.451), followed by emotional (partial η2 = 0.389) and behavioral (partial η2 = 0.337) domains.Practical implications – The study provides actionable curricular directives for higher education administrators and language faculty. It demonstrates how low-overhead digital tools and LMS game mechanics can be systematically mapped to course learning outcomes to mitigate language anxiety and enhance self-regulated learning without costly software investments.Originality/value – Moving beyond isolated research on gamification mechanics or creative composing, this study delivers a novel empirical validation of their combined deployment in tertiary SLA. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, it articulates the psychological mechanisms converting gamified structural progression into deep cognitive and emotional engagement.