The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of computer games in learning English as a foreign language and the extent to which they increase motivation in young students. More particularly, this research investigated the validity of the hypothesis that computer games are a particularly motivating means for young students to learn English vocabulary effectively in comparison to other approaches suggested by the Greek National Curriculum. The grade, in which this research was conducted, was the 4th grade of Primary school as it is a borderline grade in which greater demands are imposed on the students of this age group and language level regarding, mainly, their reading and writing skills as in this class, for the first time, it is explicitly stated by the national curriculum that literacy is one of the three basic axons upon which English language learning should be developed. All in all, the results of this research shed light on the effects which new technologies have on language learning as well as their ability to motivate students to learn English. The results of this research will also be used as a basis upon which specific suggestions for the practical implementation of computer games in the everyday classroom can be made.

The socio-cultural changes taking place in Greek classrooms over the last years have rendered the modification and revising of the existing teaching material critical. It is argued that in classes with cultural minorities, students’ needs should be put at the forefront, and teaching objectives should be adapted accordingly. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effectiveness of differentiated instruction and alternative assessment in the teaching of English to diverse population classes within a three-month period. The research focuses on the effect these approaches primarily have on triggering students’ motivation and, secondarily, on their overall linguistic development. In particular, the study examines the outcomes of two groups of diverse population students attending the third grade of primary school. The experimental group was taught through differentiated instruction, while the control group attended the traditional class. The tools employed were a needs analysis questionnaire, a pre- and post-test, portfolio evaluation checklists and semi-structured interviews. The results of the questionnaires showed students’ preference for non-traditional teaching strategies. The findings of the pre- and post-tests revealed that there is a greater progress regarding the skills of the experimental group. However, the statistical analysis (SPSS 26) showed that there are no significant differences. The answers of the portfolio assessment checklists, although scarce, featured the motivating role of portfolios in students’ engagement. The results of the semi-structured interviews showed the student’s positive overall attitude towards the employed strategies. Nevertheless, the wide attendance outflow, the short research period, the limited sample, as well as the lack of equipment provision suggest more extended future research.