Use of gamification for the development of listening skills in english

Abstract

This research aims to develop the English listening skill in fourth-year students of General Basic Education, class “B”, at the “Manuela Cañizares” Educational Unit, during the 2025–2026 academic year, through the implementation of a class system based on gamification. The thesis is grounded in the understanding that listening comprehension is an essential skill in learning English as a foreign language and that there are significant challenges within the Ecuadorian educational context, such as the predominance of traditional methods, lack of authentic listening input, and limited use of interactive didactic resources. Through a quantitative methodological approach and a quasi-experimental design, several instruments were applied, including a diagnostic test (pre-test and post-test), classroom observation, and a teacher interview to identify students’ listening difficulties. The results revealed a low level of listening performance, particularly in the recognition of key vocabulary, the understanding of main ideas, and adaptation to different accents or intonation. Based on this diagnosis, a class system integrating gamified activities was designed and implemented. These included Wordwall games, flashcards, role-playing, listening bingo, and digital tools like Kahoot, all aimed at strengthening auditory attention, sound discrimination, and comprehension in real contexts. The findings demonstrate that gamification, as an innovative didactic resource, is effective in improving listening skills in English. It is presented as a viable strategy for use in similar educational settings, contributing to the improvement of the English teaching-learning process by increasing student motivation, participation, and auditory competence.