English vocabulary learning through gamification with Tic-Tac-Toe in Flippity-Connecto: The prediction of gameplay self-efficacy to anxiety, interest and flow experience

A wide variety of gamification tools are available for language learning; however, few studies have explored the impact of Flippity-Connecto (hereafter referred to as Connecto) on learners' cognitive and affective processes. Connecto, a game similar to Tic-Tac-Toe, was designed to assist students in learning English as a foreign language (EFL). This study utilized the Tic-Tac-Toe mechanism to engage students in competitive English vocabulary learning. Grounded in the achievement emotion model, this research examined the relationships among learning interest, gameplay anxiety and flow experience while students played the game. In a single-group quasi-experimental study, sixth-grade students from an elementary school played the game three times over a period of 3 weeks, followed by the completion of questionnaires. A total of 123 valid questionnaires were collected. Structural equation modelling results revealed that: (1) gameplay self-efficacy negatively predicted gameplay anxiety and positively predicted learning interest and (2) flow experience was negatively predicted by gameplay anxiety and positively predicted by learning interest. The finding that gameplay anxiety can enhance flow experience challenges conventional views, suggesting that anxiety may energize players when facing challenges, akin to being psyched up. These findings provide insights into the complex dynamics of gamified language learning, underscoring the importance of self-efficacy, anxiety management and interest in fostering EFL learning.