GAMIFICATION IN PHRASEOLOGY PEDAGOGY: AN ETHNOLINGUISTIC APPROACH TO UNIVERSITY TEACHING

Abstract

The study examines the integration of ethnolinguistic content into the teaching of Kazakh phraseological units through game-based, interactive, and digital activities. Its relevance is determined by the need to develop instructional approaches that help students interpret the figurative meanings of phraseological units and the cultural information embedded in them. The study combined theoretical and methodological analysis with empirical data. The instructional component included quizzes, matching tasks, role-playing, competitive activities, and digital exercises. A ten-week classroom implementation involved 40 second-year students, while the subsequent online survey included a total of 81 respondents. Classroom observation and descriptive analysis of survey responses were also used. The findings indicate that students generally perceive game-based and digital activities positively and consider them useful for increasing interest and participation in phraseology lessons. Respondents also reported difficulties in understanding figurative meanings, contextual use, and ethnocultural features of phraseological units. The results reflect students’ perceptions and classroom engagement rather than objectively measured gains in learning outcomes. The study links phraseology instruction with ethnolinguistic interpretation and distinguishes the methodological roles of gamification, game-based learning, and technology-mediated interactive activities. The proposed tasks and methodological recommendations can be used to support semantic understanding, ethnocultural interpretation, and contextual use of Kazakh phraseological units in university teaching.