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Stealth Learning with an Online Dog
(Web-based Word Games for Welsh)
Gruffudd Prys and Ambrose Choy
This paper describes issues surrounding developing web-based word games in a
minority language setting, and is based on experience gained from the development of
a project designed to improve the language skills of fluent Welsh speakers undertaken
at Canolfan Bedwyr at the University of Wales, Bangor.
This project was conceived by the BBC as an entertaining way of improving the
language skills of fluent Welsh-speakers, especially those in the 18-40 age range.
Funded by ELWa, the body responsible for post-16 education and training outside
higher education in Wales, it was to form part of BBC Wales’ “Learn Welsh” website.
The BBC’s Welsh language web pages are immensely popular, attracting a high
proportion of younger Welsh-speakers. A survey conducted by the BBC in April and May
2003 revealed that 43% of the BBC Welsh language online news service “Cymru’r Byd”
belonged to the 15-34 age group, with a high level of workplace usage, peaking at
lunchtimes. The project was to provide this audience with word games, a self marking
set of language improvement exercises, and an online answering service dealing with
grammatical and other language problems. In order to appeal to the target audience,
it was important that they be entertaining and attractive in addition to being
educational. It was also intended that the project should emphasise progressive youth
culture rather than old-fashioned Celtic themes, and this would be incorporated into
the design and feel of the games.
This paper will concentrate specifically on the development of the interactive online
games and puzzles, showing how digital language resources originally created for
previous digital language projects were adapted and recycled, allowing the e-Welsh
team at the University of Wales, Bangor, to produce a working website within a few
short months. It will also detail some of the new innovations created as part of the
project, with a view of building a modularized set of components that will provide a
versatile resource bank for future projects.
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