ANALYZING THE LINGUISTIC VALUE AND REAL-WORLD RELEVANCE OF TEXTS IN GAMIFIED CALL TOOLS

Abstract

Gamified Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) applications such as Duolingo, Kahoot!, and WordBricks have become a dominant format for informal foreign-language study, yet the linguistic and communicative quality of the texts they present to learners is rarely scrutinized as closely as their motivational design. This article examines two interrelated properties of texts used in gamified CALL tools: their linguistic value (lexical, grammatical, and discourse-level well-formedness) and their real-world relevance (authenticity and transferability to genuine communicative situations). Based on a review of the CALL and gamification literature, the study develops a two-dimensional evaluative framework and applies it to findings reported for widely studied gamified applications. Results show that achievement-oriented game elements (points, streaks, badges, leaderboards) are the most consistently implemented feature across gamified CALL tools, while the content itself is disproportionately weighted toward isolated vocabulary and sentence-level items rather than connected, socially situated discourse. The discussion situates these findings within the broader debate on authenticity in foreign-language materials and proposes design and pedagogical recommendations for narrowing the gap between gamified engagement and linguistically authentic input.