SpeakER is a project that aims to support language teachers in the creation of escape games for their students, to practice and learn in a playful and stimulating environment. Some of the project’s resources have already been published such as our booklet on “Escape Rooms and languages: a perfect match?”, our toolbox of resources, tools and inspirations to integrate in game design, as well as our first collection of enigmas in English for teachers to use, edit, and combine to create their own escape room.
We have been working on new content in the past few months and you will soon be able to find more on our website! Our collection of enigmas in French, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, Romanian, Serbian, and Greek will soon be ready for you to explore.
Our next resource is a Guide on how to implement an escape room, with some invaluable advice to make your game an enjoyable experience for everyone. In this article, you will discover a sneak peek of what we have covered in the guide…
Chapter 1
We will start with a chapter explaining how to prepare the students for a pedagogical escape game. Do they need any previous knowledge? Are there things they need to be mindful of before starting the game? What ground rules should they follow? These questions and several more are tackled in the first chapter of our guide.
Chapter 2
You have probably played games with your students before, but are you sure they were all able to fully engage and participate? Our guide will help you prepare a playful experience that leaves no one behind. If some students have difficulties in performing specific tasks or if they have phobias and traumas that could prevent them from feeling safe and included in the game, our guide will show you how to best overcome these barriers, through several adaptations and an open communication.
Chapter 3
Immersion is key to a fruitful learning experience, especially for language learning. The more immersive the experience, the more your students will feel comfortable using the target language. In the third chapter of our guide, you will discover how to animate the escape game so that it stays immersive for your students and relevant with your scenario.
Chapter 4
You might wonder what a teacher does while the students play. Are you supposed to watch them and walk around the room? Should you be there with them to answer their questions? Should you be someplace else and let them figure it out on their own? Our guide explains how to become a Game Master, meaning that you will not be with your players but will still be able to communicate with them and observe their progression in the game.
Chapter 5
Another important point is the logistics of the game preparation. As you will need some objects, decoration, and furniture in the room as well as to test the game before your students do, the preparation of this activity will typically take longer than a traditional class preparation.
Chapter 6
You might think your work is done after your students play the game. Well, don’t send them home just yet! The last part of a pedagogical escape game is the debriefing with your students. The final chapter of our guide will explain what to focus on during this final phase and how to ensure the students actually learn from the game and reflect on that learning.
If you’re interested in reading our guide, stay tuned in the following months! Our next step is to create a collection of escape game scenarios in English and other languages. These scenarios will be tested from March to May 2022 and our next article will explain to you how to apply for the testing phase!
Project website: speakerproject.eu
Follow the project on Facebook: @Logopsycom
#SpeakERProject #erasmusplusproject
Our partners in this project are: YuzuPulse, Babel Idioma y Cultura, Colegiul National “Doamna Stanca”, Regional Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education of Western Macedonia, and Srednja skola za informacione tehnologije