In this post: We’ll discuss the importance of gamification in language learning for kids and how it’s revolutionizing Spanish learning games for children.

From the Millennial’s Mario Kart and The Sims to modern day Minecraft and Fortnite, online gaming has been captivating kids for decades.

father and children playing game on couch - gamification language learning

Unlocking virtual worlds, earning rewards and ‘leveling up’ are motivational elements that gamify their experience and keep them returning to the game over and over again.

Yet, arriving home to find your child gaming may not fill you with as much joy as, say, seeing them engrossed in a classic novel.

In reality, most parents worry about the detrimental effects of online gaming on their kids and condemn it as ‘bad’ and a waste of time.

Although ‘gaming disorder’ can be a negative consequence of excessive binge gaming, there are also a lot of myths that are now being debunked through research studies to show the many benefits of gamification for kids.

Whereas some apps, such as TikTok, can cause attention deficit, gaming actually supports brain development! (European Psychologist)

And did you know that gamification is a great way to learn a language too?

Learning Languages with Video Games

Kid playing video game on phone - affective filter learning

With a huge boom in the global online gaming market in recent years, our modern day digital education industry has been leveraging online gaming for foreign language learning.

With so many companies, apps, and even educators applying gamified learning to their services, products and classrooms, learning a foreign language has never been so fun and accessible!

Because of this shift, parents are no longer reliant on expensive tutors or schools to teach their kids a foreign language. Gamification in education is opening the doors to new and exciting ways for kids to learn a second language.

The Principles of Gamification in Education

Gamification by definition is ‘the process of adding games or game-like elements to something so as to encourage participation’. (Merriam-Webster)

In education, gamifying lessons serves to increase engagement.

What we learn with pleasure we never forget - Alfred Mercier quote - comprehensible input

Fun and enjoyment are highly influential in the process of learning because, as polyglot Alfred Mercier states:, “What we learn with pleasure, we never forget.”

One of the earliest advancements in gamification was the development of the well-known Oregon Trail computer game. This game served as a way to both educate and engage students, allowing them to virtually experience the Oregon Trail, making it much easier for them to learn that unit of history. The same principles of simultaneous education and engagement can be applied to language learning.

One article, by writer Ramsey Lewis, even likened language learning success to harnessing your inner geek’. It’s about finding what makes them tick and enticing their curiosity. For Ramsey that was reading Harry Potter books to learn portuguese.

FabuLingua CEO and Co-Founder Mark Begert explains how this fundamental factor of learner engagement has been lacking in language learning:

“We believe in the convergence of education and gaming as a means to engage kids and transform learning models. To us, engagement has been a critical missing piece in the last several decades, and game design and tech can change this.”

Comprehensible Input

little girl using ipad - learn spanish on ipad with fabulingua

You see, at the heart of engaged and effective language learning is compelling comprehensible input.

Comprehensible input is language that is understood by the listener, not because they understand every word in a sentence, but because they can comprehend the gist of what is being communicated from the context.

In an educational setting, this could look like the teacher pointing, making facial expressions, gesticulating and demonstrating to support the language input they are providing.

If you want to learn any foreign language, you need input! Lots of it! But as Dr. Stephen Krashen argued, the input must also be compelling:

“It is possible that compelling input is not just optimal: It may be the only way we truly acquire language.” (sdkrashen.com)

Language games can be compelling and captivating, providing kids with input focused games, often providing a far more engaging alternative to the traditional rote learning grammar books!

Game elements like points, badges, avatars, progress bars and levels help enhance this motivational piece that engages the child in learning.

They are learning through doing and processing the language, while influencing the outcomes as the game’s story unfolds.

Play is the work of the child - Maria Montessori quote - homeschool resources

To learn more about comprehensible input, you can read the blog “COMPREHENSIBLE INPUT & SPANISH: THE SECRET TO SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION”

H3: The Power of Storytelling

With the growth of language learning video games, kids are now experiencing a new and exciting form of storytelling: interactive digital stories that bring narratives to life with animations.

The vast majority of video games are based on a story that takes the gamer on a journey.

Except, in virtual gaming, the player becomes the protagonist and can affect the outcome of the story. They are fully involved in the virtual world, unlike with other storytelling mediums.

“Films help to visualize the characters, and books can help to integrate into the minds of the characters, but games give full control at the captain’s chair.” (sbanimation.com)

The child becomes an active learner, navigating the story and subconsciously learning language through play.

Learning by Playing

Although for most adults there is a clear divide between what is “work” and what is “play”, that is not the case for children.

As Dr. Maria Montessori explained, “Play is the work of the child.” Play is serious learning and impacts a child’s development.

In a previous post we discussed how the Affective Filter can make or break a learner’s language acquisition.

mom laughing playing games with children ipad - family mobile games

Ultimately, if the student’s language input experience is positive, then the affective filter is lowered because the brain is understanding the input and absorbing the language.

Play is a huge part of the effectiveness of the gamification of language learning. It serves to lower the affective filter with engaging and interactive activities that involve the learner in the process.

H2: The Benefits of Gamification in Language Learning

Gamification in foreign language learning has numerous benefits for kids:

It makes learning visible (think progress bars, rewards etc)
It lowers the affective filter
It increases intrinsic motivation
It provides healthy competition between peers or siblings
It helps kids take ownership of their learning

Gaming is often stigmatized as being an isolating and antisocial hobby. However, today’s online gaming world couldn’t be further from the truth.

In a recent study, 74% of parents said they played video games at least weekly with their kids.

I’ve enjoyed many video gaming sessions with my children, and to see the shock in their faces as you crush them at Super Smash Bros is truly priceless.

Oftentimes older siblings deepen their learning by teaching their younger siblings, friends, and even their parents, how to play.

classroom learning - spanish for elementary

Beyond the camaraderie that virtual gaming can offer, video gaming is also far from a passive activity: to succeed at levels, kids need to develop skills like tactics, perseverance and process rules. It requires strategic thinking and problem solving abilities.

Gamification in Education: Statistics and Study

So what are the advantages of gamification in education?

Ultimately the goal with gamified learning is to increase participation and engagement.

In the classroom, teachers might design their lessons to include gamelike elements. For example: competitive activities, role-play, rewards, points and challenges.

Even if the activities are not obvious ‘games’, these elements ‘gamify’ the task and create a higher level of student motivation.

Even in the business world, gamification is becoming a hot topic and focus for both advertising strategies, educating and training employees. The goal? Just as a teacher wants engaged students, businesses want to hire performing employees.

In a gamification at work survey, 89% claimed that if a task is gamified, they are more motivated to participate.

A recent article shared 7 companies using gamification. The list included major companies like Dominos, Samsung, Microsoft and Google.

From a gamified Pizza Maker course at Dominos that quickened up menu training and standards with new employees, to an expense tracker by Google that reached a 100% compliance rate, there are many gamification initiatives that can yield tangible benefits.

The Best Spanish Learning Games for Kids

So how do we gamify our homes and classrooms to engage kids in interactive language learning?

baby playing with flashcards on floor - free spanish learning for babies

Vocabulary Games

Flashcards often get a bad rap for being the epitome of rote learning. But when used creatively for play-based vocabulary games, they can be a helpful tool.

There are dozens of easy ways to use flashcards for vocabulary practice. From bingo to scavenger hunts, memory games to Guess Who, there are many ways to gamify learning with vocabulary flashcards.

Canticos Bilingual Preschool App

Featuring traditional Spanish nursery rhymes through videos, songs, interactive stories and games, the Canticos Bilingual Preschool App engages young children in learning Spanish.

The app is interactive and uses comprehensible input to teach meaningful language like high frequency words and authentic songs.

Canticos includes childhood favorites from Latin American and Spain, including ‘Los pollitos dicen’ and ‘La víbora de la mar’.

The gamified learning in the Canticos app is perfect for shorter attention spans and all the content is bilingual, meaning both native speakers and beginners can enjoy its content.

FabuLingua: The Best Spanish Learning App for Kids

Imagine if your kid could learn a language and become biliterate from a digital game.

kid on hammock playing ipad game - spanish for kids

FabuLingua is our mobile game where kids “Play to Learn” new languages through interactive digital stories.

Our "invisible learning" is a highly effective method that engages kids in games and stories, where they are transported to a fantasy world and learning happens subconsciously (invisibly).

It's like Duolingo for kids, but set in a much more immersive game that appeals to a child’s imagination rooted in comprehensible input..

FabuLingua has developed a unique mobile language learning game, based on modern learning science, that utilizes game structure and stories to meet kids in a familiar, engaging environment.

Our core game loop is simple: you read and interact with the various learning activities of the stories to earn keys and unlock chests and rewards.

You progress and discover new stories on your journey as you explore the ever-expanding FabuLingua world.

Ready to gamify your child’s language learning?

Get the FabuLingua app today in the AppStore or Google Play store and receive 30 days FREE!