Abstract
This study investigates EFL teachers' attitudes toward the use of gamification and art therapy-inspired approaches in language teaching. The study used a qualitative approach, with asynchronous semi-structured interviews conducted online with 26 EFL teachers at the International University of Tourism and Hospitality in Turkistan, Kazakhstan. The data were analysed thematically using the MAXQDA program. The findings show that teachers believe gamification and art therapy-inspired practices are effective ways to increase student motivation, communicative inventiveness, and emotional involvement. Gamification was defined as the use of game elements such as challenges, points, and collaborative tasks to enhance classroom involvement, but art therapy-inspired activities were seen as encouraging creative expression and lowering language anxiety. Teachers also noted that these techniques create student-centered learning settings and realistic communication practices applicable to professional contexts. Participants did, however, identify a number of problems, including insufficient professional training, time limits, and inflexible curriculum structures. The study suggests that combining gamification and creative pedagogies can help to create more engaging and emotionally supportive language learning environments, particularly in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) settings. It also emphasises the need for eacher training and institutional support in the successful adoption of innovative pedagogical approaches.