THE STRATEGIC EFFECTIVENESS OF GAME-BASED LEARNING (GBL) IN TEACHING ENGLISH TO YOUNG LEARNERS, FUNDAMENTAL THEORIES AND EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS
Keywords:
Game-Based Learning (GBL), Young Learners, English language methodology, cognitive development, TPR (Total Physical Response), interactive strategies, Uzbekistan education system, neuropedagogics, gamification, vocabulary acquisition, motivational dynamics.Abstract
This comprehensive scientific article provides a profound analysis of
the psycholinguistic, cognitive, and methodological foundations of Game-Based
Learning (GBL) in teaching English to preschool and primary school children. The
relevance of this research is established by the incompatibility of traditional academic
teaching methods with the cognitive nature of young learners, which often results in
systemic issues such as "language phobia," classroom disengagement, and a decline in
motivation. The study systematically examines the role of game-based instruction in
sustaining voluntary attention, facilitating the transfer of new vocabulary into long
term memory at the neural level, and mitigating emotional barriers (the Affective
Filter) during the learning process. Results from a two-year comparative experimental
study conducted in Uzbekistan's primary schools indicate that student groups utilizing
game-based methods achieved a proficiency coefficient 50% higher than that of the
control group. The article provides a scientific substantiation for the distribution of
Total Physical Response (TPR), digital gamification, and cognitive-didactic games
across various lesson stages, grounded in neuropedagogical frameworks.
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