Development of EFL speaking skills through gamified activities among seventh-grade students at a private school in the city of Durán, scholastic year 2024-2025.

Abstract

Interaction and communication are fundamental aspects of developing EFL learning. That is why, in this paper, much attention was paid to speaking skills. This project aims to explore how complementary material, applied through gamification, can help overcome learning challenges during the development of EFL speaking skills among seventh-grade students at a school in Duran in the 2024-2025 school year. Employing a mixed-method approach, the study combines qualitative and quantitative research tools. These tools include surveys to gauge the teacher and students’ perceptions and attitudes toward oral communication, observation checklists to track information on teacher performance across speaking instructional areas, and observation notes to capture additional classroom interactions. Through the analysis of the data obtained, it is possible to state that the students involved in this research project experienced several speaking challenges, which can be mitigated through the use of gamified activities that promote engagement and enhance students’ speaking performance. Based on these findings, an action plan was designed for classroom implementation, which includes applying seven gamified activities and regular monitoring of the process, to assess its effectiveness.