International Journal of Humanities Education and Social Sciences
Vol 5 No 6 (2026): IJHESS JUNE 2026

Gamification of Professional Small Talk: Enhancing Interpersonal English Skills for Vocational Students via Micro-learning Mobile Apps

Hermansyah Hermansyah (Departement of Accounting, Politeknik Unggul LP3M, North Sumatera, Indonesia)
Arief Hidayat (Politeknik Unggul LP3M, Medan, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
27 Jun 2026

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the implementation of a gamified micro-learning mobile application specifically engineered to develop interpersonal English conversational competence among vocational college students. Employing a mixed-methods empirical approach, 120 undergraduate students from Politeknik Unggul LP3M were assigned to either an experimental group utilizing the gamified micro-learning intervention or a control group undergoing conventional teacher-led interpersonal dialogue simulations over a 16-week academic semester. Interpersonal competence was measured quantitatively via standardized pre- and post-tests evaluating pragmatic appropriateness, linguistic fluency, and conversational initiation capabilities, supplemented by physiological and self-reported communication anxiety metrics. Quantitative analyses demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the experimental group's micro-interaction capabilities (p < 0.01) and an extensive reduction in English communication anxiety levels. Qualitative interviews revealed that gamified rewards, micro-credentials, and spaced-repetition loops lowered the psychological barriers associated with casual L2 interactions. The paper concludes with structural recommendations for incorporating interactive gamified frameworks into vocational General English and ESP pedagogical ecosystems

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

ijhess

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Economics, Econometrics & Finance Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Social Sciences Other

Description

International Journal Of Humanities Education and Social Sciences (IJHESS) is to provide a research medium and an important reference for the advancement and dissemination of research results that support high-level research in the fields Culture of Education and Social Science Research . Original ...