Towards a more inclusive and engaging English language teaching: methodological innovation involving gamification and interculturalism in secondary school

Abstract

This Masters Thesis introduces a teaching innovation project designed for the subject of English in the 3rd year of Compulsory Secondary Education known by the acronym “ESO” in Spain. The proposal arises from the need to increase student motivation, improve their communicative competence in a foreign language and promote cultural inclusion through the use of active methodologies. In an educational context characterised by the diversity of needs, the project is structured around a gamified approach that integrates playful, collaborative and creative activities with communicative function and lexical content from the official Andalusian curriculum. Throughout a month of implementation (four weekly sessions of 60 minutes each), students participate in meaningful tasks such as role-playing games, escape rooms, written productions, oral dynamics and project work. The focus here is on developing both language skills and intercultural values. Learning assessment is approached in a formative, summative, self-assessment and gamified way through the use of rubrics, checklists, reflective activities and constant feedback. Instruments such as the portfolio and co-assessment are also included, which reinforce the learner's autonomy and critical capacity. The expected results are based on improved academic performance, increased commitment to the foreign language and greater sensitivity to cultural diversity, as well as the students' own interest in the language. To conclude, we reflect on the limitations of the project, such as time constraints and the need for teacher training, and consider future lines of innovation in order to continue moving towards inclusive, motivating and aligned education as set out in the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.