DEVELOPING EFL LEARNERS' READING COMPETENCE THROUGH GAMIFIED READING QUESTS

Gamification - the use of game elements and design in non-game contexts - has been increasingly applied to EFL reading instruction with quasi-experimental studies showing improved understanding and engagement. However, most such interventions employ isolated mechanics (quizzes, points, badges) rather than an overarching narrative quest framework, and few investigate potential differences in the effects on various reading sub-skills. This thesis aims to discover the question: "Does the inclusion of a narrative quest in a gamified EFL reading program yield different results than a program involving isolated game features?" The paper reviews gamification theory, empirical studies of gamified EFL reading, and theories of reading engagement and motivation, and argues that a quest-based approach- involving a sustained narrative progression demanding extensive reading- might foster reading competence in ways that isolated mechanics do not. The thesis proposes research questions and mixed methods of design for surveying a gamified reading quest interrelation with upper-secondary EFL students.