UK spin-out computer game shown to enhance children's language skills
With the support of EU and national funding, an Oxford University spin-out company has developed a computer game which can dramatically improve children's language skills. The Phonomena game, developed by MindWeavers, teaches children to recognise and distinguish between word sounds and adapts to each student's ability and learning speed. 'The game keeps the learner working at their optimum level of ability,' Bruce Robinson, Chief Executive of MindWeavers, told CORDIS News. 'It adapts as the learner improves and keeps them trying. Neuroscience research shows that the brain learns most quickly when someone is working at the edge of their competence,' he said. The game comprises three characters, one of which acts as a tutor. The tutor makes a word sound, which is then repeated by one of the other characters, while the third makes a very similar sound. The user has to identify which character produced the sound identical to that of the tutor. As the game progresses, the sounds between which the child must distinguish become closer together. Once the child has been working for a certain length of time, he or she is rewarded with a short and unrelated game before the learning begins once again. The sounds played have been synthesised by researchers at Oxford University's physiology department. The way in which this is done is currently the subject of a patent application. Mr Robinson believes that it is the combination of motivation, the ability to hold the attention of the learner and the reward that have made the game such a success. Trial results show that primary school children who used the game for four weeks saw their listening age increase by 2.4 years. A control group that did not use the Phonomena game showed no improvement. In addition to learning, children who have used the software also seem to be enjoying themselves. One teacher who had participated in the trial said: 'My pupils loved playing Phonomena and volunteered for more. It had a remarkable effect on their literacy skills, which could only have been achieved by one to one tuition.' MindWeavers is now beginning trials in Japan where the game will be used to teach English as a foreign language. Mr Robinson explained that Japan was selected because of the differences between the English and Japanese languages which cause Japanese native speakers to struggle when learning English. Because the phonemes 'r' and 'l' do not exist in Japanese, language students cannot hear the difference between them and are unable to make the sounds themselves. 'Assuming that the results are positive, our primary focus here will be adults in the business sector. But there is clearly scope to extend it to Japanese children, for home use, as they start learning English early and adore computer games. Another potential market is that of non-native English speakers in the US who need to learn English in order to enter into the job market. MindWeavers was one of the benefactors of the Animate project, funded under the innovation section of the European Commission's Fourth Framework Programme (FP4). The Animate project was coordinated by Oxford Innovation, and provided practical guidance and support to 100 small and medium sized enterprises in the UK, as well as guidance on the preparation and implementation of effective innovation plans.
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United Kingdom