The Effectiveness of Gamification Tools (Quizlet and Wayground) in Teaching English Vocabulary to Young Learners: Evidence from a Vietnamese English Education Center

Abstract

This article examined the effectiveness of two gamification tools, Quizlet and Wayground, in teaching English vocabulary to young learners at an English education center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the article addressed three research questions concerning the benefits of Quizlet and Wayground, their capacity to engage students’ motivation and interest and their effect on young learners’ memory of vocabulary meaning. Thirty students aged 10 to 11, enrolled in a Cambridge Flyers preparation course, were divided into an experimental group taught using Quizlet and Wayground and a control group taught using traditional methods over a six-week period. Data were collected through a vocabulary pre-test and post-test, twelve periods of classroom observation and semi-structured interviews with five English teachers. Quantitative data were analyzed using independent-samples and paired-samples t-tests, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The results indicated that teachers perceived Quizlet and Wayground as beneficial for presenting, practicing and reviewing vocabulary through varied game modes. Both interview and observation data showed that the tools substantially increased students’ motivation and interest in the classroom. Furthermore, although the two groups did not differ significantly on the pre-test (p = .653), the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group on the post-test (p = .035), and only the experimental group showed a statistically significant pre-to-post-test improvement (p < .001) with mean scores rising from 6.940 to 7.920. These findings suggest that gamification tools such as Quizlet and Wayground can meaningfully enhance vocabulary retention and classroom engagement among young EFL learners, offering practical implications for vocabulary instruction in similar educational contexts.