Learning on Country: A Game-Based approach towards preserving an Australian Aboriginal Language

 Nginya naaa-da banga-mari dalang wingaru-dane. Ngyina diya-ma murri dalan-wa dalang-ra1 . This paper presents the design of a prototype 360 degree, interactive, Indigenous language learning game aimed at the reclamation of Indigenous languages through immersion with community oral traditions expressed through visual and audio effects and the choreography of the characters within the game. The project is underpinned by a foundational acknowledgement that Aboriginal culture is held within the country specific to the language and embodied in that country’s landscape. Learning within the game is based around themes of country, weather, local environment and kinship. Animation and design principles were applied from an embodied communication perspective to increase engagement and to reinforce language learning principles, with Indigenous animation and design students bringing an Indigenous perspective to the gestural and design content of the game. Specific language content is extracted from an existing web system to share audio and text examples from worksheet lessons. Added to this is the ability for the basic functionality to call in data from alternate languages and themes to generate new game content. Keywords: Language Learning, Learning in context

Author: 
Cat Kutay
Deborah Szapiro
Jaime Garcia
William Raffe
Presented At: 
Proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Computers in Education. Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education (ICCE)
Year: 
2020
Type: 
Conference Proceedings