Current research in English language teaching reports that there is a tendency towards the use of mobile games and technology. However, there is a lack of research conducted that informs on the implementation of those strategies in high school contexts in Colombia. This article reports a case study aimed at exploring students’ perceptions towards the use of the Serious Game Bethe1Challenge supported with gamified activities, in a high school context during pandemic times. Accordingly, interviews, a pre-test and post-test were implemented and analyzed. It is concluded that participants perceived that Bethe1Challenge is an entertaining, fun, and enjoyable game that increases motivation and improves English learning as reported in the tests. Nonetheless, constraints related to the game were also discovered.

This qualitative descriptive action research study explores the contribution of customized lessons with cultural content in the learning of English as a Foreign Language (EFL).. This study was conducted with a group of 17 undergraduates from the English Language Teaching (ELT) program at a state university in south-eastern Colombia. Data were collected via students’ artefacts (EFL lessons developed by the participants) with corresponding self-assessment, teachers’ field notes, and surveys on students’ perceptions. Findings suggest that designing customized lessons anchored in principles of second language acquisition results in more effective language learning. Additionally, using cultural content in the lessons makes communication more meaningful as undergraduates develop cultural knowledge and understanding. Finally, addressing learning styles and providing learning strategies in the lessons greatly contribute to EFL learning among undergraduates.

This research study arose from the lack of opportunities students had to communicate and express their ideas regarding the content they had already learned using English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Speaking as a linguistic component in EFL is one of the most important skills in this context as it enables students to have better interaction and communication. This qualitative participatory action research study aimed at exploring the contributions that class discussions based on cultural aspects have on eleventh graders from Jorge Eliécer Gaitán High School in Florencia, Caquetá. Each intervention process in this research was developed using Argawati’s (2014) cycle; the cycle was composed of three guidelines: greeting, main activity, and closing. The class discussions were conducted following the ‘group investigation’ method to give students more opportunities for participating and exchanging ideas. The surveys, field notes, and audio-tape recordings were the instruments to gather the data during the intervention. The findings suggest that it is beneficial to use class discussions based on cultural aspects in EFL to promote students’ participation, and thus, evidence significant progress in the EFL speaking skill. Besides, class discussions based on cultural aspects make EFL learners be constantly practicing, requesting information, sharing ideas, and concluding regarding the cultural aspects, fostering a meaningful development of their speaking skill.

Writing is a way to express and communicate ideas and thoughts. However, during class, students present different challenges and difficulties to convey their ideas using the vocabulary learnt in the English class. The current paper describes an action research process aimed at exploring the contributions that videos with sociocultural content have for the improvement of the writing skill in English among 10th graders at Institución Educativa Jorge Eliécer Gaitán in Florencia-Caquetá, Colombia. This research was developed in four interventions in which surveys and researchers’ field notes were the instruments used to collect data. The findings of this research demonstrated the impact and benefits of the use of videos to improve students’ writing skill. Additionally, along with the interventions it was possible to evidence students’ motivation because they participated, corrected, and improved the written paragraphs together.