DOI: 
http://dx.doi.org/10.15293/1813-4718.2603.06
UDC: 
372.881.111.22
Levina Elena Alexandrovna
Кандидат филологических наук, Assoc. Prof. of the Department of Foreign Languages and Teaching Methods, Mordovian State Pedagogical University named after M.E. Evseviev, e-lyo@yandex.ru, Saransk
Lazutova Lyudmila Andreevna
Кандидат филологических наук, Head of the Department of Foreign Languages and Teaching Methods, Mordovian State Pedagogical University named after M.E. Evseviev, l_lasutova@mail.ru, Saransk

The Didactic Potential of Edutainment Technology in Teaching English Speaking Skills in Lower Secondary School

Abstract: 
In the context of contemporary education and changes in the cognitive characteristics of modern school students, the search for effective methodological solutions aimed at developing foreign language communicative competence has become increasingly significant. Traditional approaches to teaching oral speech do not always fully meet the needs of learners who are oriented toward interactivity, visuality, and emotional engagement in the learning process. In this regard, there is a growing interest in educational technologies that integrate cognitive and game-based components. One such technology is edutainment, which makes it possible to create a motivationally rich and communicatively oriented educational environment. The use of entertainment elements combined with purposeful speaking practice contributes to the activation of learning activities and the reduction of psychological barriers in foreign language communication. The relevance of using this technology is determined by the need to improve the results of teaching English speaking in secondary schools. The purpose of the study is to identify and substantiate the didactic potential of edutainment technology in the development of foreign language oral speech skills (both monologic and dialogic) among students of basic general education, as well as to experimentally verify the effectiveness of its implementation in the educational process. The methodological framework of the study is based on the activity-based and communicative approaches to foreign language teaching, as well as on the interdisciplinary integration of principles from psycholinguistics, pedagogy, language teaching methodology, and digital didactics. The research employs methods of scientific literature analysis, functional and analytical-synthetic analysis, and pedagogical generalization. The scientific novelty of the study lies in clarifying the didactic potential of edutainment technology with regard to the development of monologic and dialogic speech, as well as in describing a structured model of a lesson aimed at fostering spontaneous speaking activity in a game-based and digital learning environment. The results of the study demonstrate that the systematic use of edutainment contributes to increased learner motivation, a reduction in psychological barriers, and a statistically significant improvement in the level of oral speech skills compared to traditional teaching methods. In conclusion, the study substantiates the pedagogical relevance and methodological effectiveness of integrating edutainment technology into the practice of teaching English speaking skills in basic secondary school.
Keywords: 
english language; teaching speaking; oral speech; communicative competence; edutainment technology; basic general education
References: 

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