Elevating Arabic Vocabulary Learning: A Dive into Digital Gaming Applications

Abstract

In response to the global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, digital gaming applications have gained substantial traction within the realm of education. These applications serve not only as valuable tools for educators to integrate into their classroom pedagogy but also as independent self-learning resources for students. This transformative trend extends to the domain of Arabic vocabulary acquisition, where a variety of digital gaming platforms, including Quizizz, Kahoot, Quizlet, and Wordwall, are being harnessed. Despite the growing prominence of digital gaming applications in language learning, there exists a paucity of discourse concerning the specific content and structure of Arabic vocabulary instruction via these platforms. Consequently, this research endeavours to fill this void by identifying prevalent themes in Arabic vocabulary learning facilitated by digital applications. It simultaneously conducts an in-depth analysis of the content, encompassing thematic categories, question formats, and gaming elements. The study employs a qualitative research approach, integrating content analysis and literature review methodologies to explore previously accumulated data. The ensuing discussion elucidates three principal themes: the selection of vocabulary learning topics within gaming applications, the diverse formats of questions incorporated, and the gamification elements integrated into these applications. Notably, the analysis reveals that the majority of gaming applications align their content with topics derived from secondary school standard curriculum textbooks (KSSM). Furthermore, the study identifies prevalent question formats, with true or false inquiries, fill-in-the-blank exercises, and multiple-choice questions being the most pervasive. The research underscores the pronounced presence of audio elements and interactive gameplay as distinctive characteristics within these digital gaming applications.