Evaluating the Impact of Gamified Language Learning on Student Exchange Participants’ Confidence and Competence in English and Arabic: A Pre- and Post-Test Analysis

This study investigates the impact of gamified language learning activities on student exchange participants’ confidence and competence in English and Arabic. Despite the growing use of gamification in educational contexts, there remains a lack of empirical evidence on its effectiveness in enhancing bilingual competencies, particularly in short-term intervention programs. The primary aim of this research is to assess whether the Fun Language Hour program, involving language-based games, can significantly improve participants’ language skills and self-confidence. The methodology employed a pre-test and post-test design, with data collected from 10 Indonesian students who participated in a 3-hour language learning session focused on English and Arabic games. A paired samples t-test was conducted to analyse the differences between pre- and post-test scores, specifically measuring participants’ self-reported confidence and competence in using both languages The findings indicate statistically significant improvements in several areas, with t-statistics ranging from – 3.00 to -9.00 and p-values below the 0.05 threshold for most measures, suggesting that the program contributed to measurable gains in confidence and competence. Notably, significant improvements were observed in understanding and using basic Arabic phrases, comfort with bilingual activities, participation in cultural exchanges, and familiarity with English vocabulary introduced in the program. However, there was no significant change in participants’ overall expectations. Despite these positive outcomes, limitations such as the small sample size and brief duration may have constrained the program’s full impact. The study implies that more extensive and prolonged gamified interventions may be necessary to achieve even greater improvements in language acquisition. Future research should explore longer programs with larger and more diverse participant groups to better assess the potential of gamified learning in bilingual settings.