Learner Autonomy and Playful Learning: Students’ Experience of a Gamified Application for French as a Foreign Language

Abstract

Learner autonomy is a central theme in foreign language learning (FLL) research and is encouraged by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. In Norway, the national curriculum for foreign languages also emphasises the importance of taking charge of one's own learning. Games and gamification are perceived as ways to foster and develop learner autonomy in FLL classes. However, only a few studies have researched these assumptions in practice. The present study investigates the emergence of learner autonomy in relation to the use of a gamified application for a French-as-a-foreign-language course. The application was developed and implemented for a whole school year in a second-year class of a Norwegian upper-secondary school. Interview data, the data log, and observation data were collected to analyse the students' use of the application in practice. The study shows that the application supports the emergence of learner autonomy. The students take control of the learning activity and create their own learning paths. These results are promising for the use of gamification in FLL contexts. The structure of the gamified application provides a frame within which students could develop their learner autonomy and participate in the collaborative dimension of learning.