Keyword: «principles of gamification»

The relevance of this study is determined by contemporary requirements for the quality of linguistic education, where the development of sustainable communicative competence among students is one of the key factors in their professional success and integration into the global educational and professional environment. Traditional methods of foreign language teaching often fall short in ensuring sufficient engagement and motivation among learners, necessitating the search for new pedagogical strategies. One such strategy is gamification, which not only enhances student motivation but also creates conditions for active, meaningful, and emotionally rich acquisition of language and communicative skills. The aim of this article is to provide a theoretical rationale, identification, and synthesis of the principles of gamification as a pedagogical technology that contributes to the development of communicative competence in students majoring in linguistics. To achieve this goal, we set the following objectives: to analyze the current scientific discourse on gamification, to determine the specific features of its use in education, and to develop practical recommendations for incorporating game-based methods into language learning, considering the identified principles. The methodological foundation of this research encompasses a comprehensive analysis of domestic and international literature in the fields of foreign language teaching, pedagogy, psychology, and game technologies. The study includes a comparative analysis of existing approaches to communicative competence development, as well as the systematization of pedagogical principles for effective gamification confirmed by empirical studies. The main results of the research include the substantiation of six key principles of gamification–authenticity, interactivity, contextualization, diversity, feedback, and emotionality–each elucidated in terms of its contribution to the development of communicative competence. Theoretical significance of the article lies in the synthesis and systematization of knowledge regarding gamification principles in the context of communicative competence development among students of linguistic specialties. Practical significance is reflected in the development of recommendations for teachers and methodologists on implementing the identified principles of gamification, including examples of their integration into the educational process. The presented results have the potential to enhance the effectiveness of language instruction, ensure sustained student engagement and interest, and facilitate overcoming linguistic and psychological barriers in the development of communicative competence.