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The publication of a special issue on Games and Gamification by Revista Brasileira de Linguística Aplicada (RBLA - The Brazilian Journal of Applied Linguistics) recognizes the role of games and gamification in the discussions on language and language learning/teaching. It not only invites researchers to report on their most recent findings in the area, but also legitimizes its relevance and value in furthering studies in Applied Linguistics in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of gamification platforms as a strategy for the engagement of students from the 8th year of elementary school in Brazil. We chose two badging platforms – ClassDojo and ClassBadges – to be evaluated based on 7 different criteria. The main objectives were to generate involvement among individual and particular situations, increasing the interest, engagement and efficiency while performing a specific task. We observed the behavior of 61 students from an elementary public school in Brazil as part of our field research. Data were collected using observation, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Quantitative data were statistically analyzed using a multivariate technique known as cluster analysis. The results allowed us to classify students in 4 distinct groups and showed that students who received more rewards from the teacher got significantly better average performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]