The playful frame: gamification in a French-as-a-foreign-language class

There is increased interest in the use of gamification as an innovative practice in the field of training and education. Based on the use of game mechanics, gamification aims at engaging students in their learning. However, there is not much research on the use of gamification in school settings, especially when it comes to foreign language learning; hence, we know little about to what extent this aim is actually fulfilled. This study intends to contribute to filling this research gap. Silva's four dimensions of play - built from Henriot's theory of play - are used as an analytical framework to study a teaching situation where a gamified application, developed for this research project, was introduced in a French-as-a-foreign-language class in a Norwegian upper secondary school. This article focuses on the students' engagement in their learning activities and their control over the tasks. The interaction analysis of video data reveals that students are indeed showing expressions of playfulness and autonomy. The analysis also shows that the students are engaged in the activity and are voluntarily completing additional language tasks. These findings are promising for the use of gamified resources in foreign language learning classes.