Explorez Explores Gamification for French Language Learning

When one of her teen sons struggled with learning a new language, Bernadette wondered if there might be a game to help him. She discovered some mobile apps, but they weren’t as engaging as her son’s favorite video games. After all, flashcard vocabulary apps were still just rote memorization. As a graduate student and French language instructor at the University of Victoria, Bernadette was up for the challenge to find a solution not only for her son, but also for other students who struggle with learning a new language.

Her research led Bernadette to complete a graduate course on computer-assisted language learning and a MOOC on gamification. Gamification uses game-based mechanics and game thinking to engage people, motivate action, and promote learning.

“I was pleasantly surprised to learn how some instructors use video games as learning tools,” she said. “I was very excited about the potential of gamification. All my research for my thesis did a 180,” she said. Instead of continuing her studies in medieval French literature, she wanted to see what could happen if educators could engage language learners the way video games engage players.

It was during her graduate course that she learned about Mentira, a language learning game created on ARIS. ARIS, produced at Field Day Lab, is a user-friendly, open-source platform for creating and playing mobile games, tours and interactive stories. You can learn more about ARIS right here.

“I was inspired by Mentira and I knew I wanted to create a similar experience…. Explorez is the first game I’ve made.”

Explorez is a mobile game for first-year French students that turns the University of Victoria campus into a virtual Francophone world. (Check out this video about Explorez here: )

“I knew how important having a storyline would be to keeping the students motivated to play the game,” she said. And who better to motivate students than a celebrity?

As personal assistants to a famous French celebrity, the students criss-crossed campus to play Explorez. They ordered the celebrity coffee (in French), searched for specific books in a French library, and completed other quests and options to further the storyline. As the students progressed through the game, they developed written and oral language skills in real-world situations — often recording themselves speaking in French, which were later accessed by a teaching assistant.

“One thing I liked about it was…applying the vocab and being able to be out of the classroom,” wrote one student in the post-game survey. “It was nice to actually get out and apply things in a way that you wouldn’t be able to in a classroom.”

Two-thirds of the groups played beyond the 50 minute game time because they were so motivated to finish their quests. Bernadette also noted that instead of seeking out online dictionaries, students turned to each other for help, which promoted more sociocultural learning. In post-game surveys, the majority of her students said they would play the game again. And many preferred the game to a weekly lab because they felt less intimidated by the language.

“In our workshops we are expected to perform brief conversations in front of a dozen other people. For me this was painful and I would say the bare minimum I thought I could get away with,” wrote another student. “In the game, I found that without trying to work out a script in advance, I would try to convey more complicated ideas. Good for confidence, and especially good for showing me the gaps in my vocabulary.”

Bernadette will continue to add on to Explorez as her PhD builds on her Master’s research. “I realize that as a grad student, I had more time than what other teachers may have to create a game like this. That’s why I want to share this game.”

She urges others who are interested in creating learning games to not be intimidated by the technology.

“I was completely not tech savvy when I started out designing the game,” she said. “In fact, I even asked my kids for help with the computer! But I was determined, so I dove in on my own to learn how to do it.”

Above all Bernadette stressed how important it was to be willing to ask for help. “Be open to learning something new!”