The efficacy of language learning applications and games versus traditional approaches in teaching if clauses: A quasi-experimental study

The role of grammar instruction in teaching English as a foreign language has long been a subject of debate. Questions whether grammar should be taught and how it should be approached remain as an unsolved issue. This study investigates the effectiveness of language learning applications and games in teaching conditional sentences, compared to traditional grammar instruction methods. Semi-structured interviews as the qualitative data collection tool, and a pre-test, post-test, and delayed post-test as quantitative tools. The delayed post-test was administered three weeks after the application to assess long-term retention. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis, while quantitative data were processed using SPSS (version 26.0, Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.). Findings indicate that both students and teachers highly preferred language learning applications and games. Moreover, these tools significantly contributed to the students' retention of grammatical structures. Teachers also reported favoring these methods as effective supplementary resources in grammar instruction. Keywords: If Clause, Grammar, Language Learning Applications, Games