Serious Games for Situated Learning of

Vehicular Languages Addressing Work

Needs

H. Tsalapatas, O. Heidmann, R. Alimisi, E. Houstis

Life Long Learning KA2 Project: 530951-LLP-1-2012-1-GR-KA2-KA2MP

The consortium

University of Thessaly (Coordinator)

Center for Research& Technology Hellas

European Welding Federation

Universita degli Studi Gulielmo Marconi

Tallinn University

HiST Contract Research

The idea 1/2

Individuals are often called to communicate in a foreign

language in cultural settings that diverge significantly from

their own and from one country to another.

To meet work objectives, professionals rely on vehicular

languages

English, German, or French.

The idea 2/2

Existing professional training programs strive to bring

language competency to working levels, but many fail to

address the diverging use of a “lingua franca”

Upgrading training practices is important in order to

keep pace with the changing career context and rapidly

evolving labour-market (Cedefop, 2009)

Cedefop. (2009) ‘Continuity, consolidation and change. Towards a European era of vocational education and training’.

Cedefop Reference series; 73 Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

Pivotal Question

How can we promote professional language skill building

addressing the diverging use of a “lingua franca” with its

own variations, specific localized expressions and

communication norms ?

siLang objectives

The project will improve efficiency in business communication,

competitiveness and employability, by implementing:

A situated mobile-enabled serious game for language learning

on business communication

Adaptable learning activities immersing learners into rich,

cultural work-related experiences

Good practices on deployment, targeting trainers.

Target groups: professionals, vocational workers and higher education

students

Core siLang methodologies

Situated Learning

«meaningful learning experiences can occur when ‘students’ are

enculturated into authentic practices through activity and social

interaction»

Brown, Collins and Duguid (1989)

Game-based learning

Serious gaming approaches

Role- playing practices and ‘narrative immersion’

Brown, J. S., Collins, A. and Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational

Researcher, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 32-42

The siLang process

Analysis of current status quo in professional language learning

Identify the issues non-natives encounter in English

Identify cultural aspects/ local peculiarities

Implement ‘foldback’ stories that address the issues that were identified

Implement those stories in the siLang software

siLang ‘foldback stories’

Narrative immersion: acting inside a story

A story consists of realistic language scenes/situations

that expose the user to a certain work-related language

task.

i.e communication in international settings, presenting ideas

during a meeting, greetings, scheduling etc.

Once a task is completed another scene ‘unlocks’ and the

plot unfolds.

A central ‘hub’ is used to set ‘plot-critical situations’ that

the learner cannot ignore or alter.

Fold-back stories- Prototyping

The siLang serious game

Main characteristics:

o Situated adaptable

o Portable

o Touch-screen

interfaces

o Traditional Internet

access

o Mobile access

Transfer effects tackled:

◦ Syntax

◦ Basic vocabulary and

expression repertory

◦ Basic communication in

business

◦ Practicing verbal

communication

Foreseen outcomes

the situated serious game for language learning on business communication

learning activities that immerse learners into rich cultural and work related experiences

good practices on deployment targeting trainers

web2.0 services for online communication

learning requirements/methodologies reports and status quo analysis

Validation sites and activities

Where? Greece, Norway, Estonia,

Italy, Portugal

With whom? Learners: professionals,

vocational workers, higher education students

Trainers

How?

Validation activities will take place in an on-going manner following the ‘teaching experiments’ methodology.

Find siLang online at: http://si-lang.net

University of Thessaly (Coordinator)

Center for Research& Technology Hellas

European Welding Federation

Universita degli Studi Gulielmo Marconi

Tallinn University

HiST Contract Research

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects

the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be

made of the information contained therein.