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Cambridge ESOL develops Facebook game

An alien life form that lands on earth and has to learn English in its new world is the idea behind a new online game developed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL). The UK-based exams company is hoping that its 127,000 Facebook fans will play the game and it will reinforce its brand using social media.

Players can post their scores on a global leader board through their Facebook profile

“Academy Island” follows an alien life form who has landed on Earth and must learn English in order to get by in various social situations.

“Educational computer games can be a really good way of exposing learners to the English language and this has been the driving force behind Academy Island,” said Cambridge ESOL’s Digital Marketing Manager, Lorna Pedersen (pictured).“We’ve worked with experts to create an environment which encourages learners to improve their key language skills in a progressive but fun way.”

Players must progress through different difficulty levels by helping the alien use English in different contexts such as shopping in a bakery or visiting places like an art gallery and the library. Players can post their scores on a global leader board through their Facebook profile.

A team of language experts from Cambridge ESOL who work on the actual exam papers came up with the questions and tasks to ensure they were pitched at an appropriate level for learners of English. They worked closely with TAMBA – a digital marketing agency who specialise in social media games.

“We were delighted to win this brief as edugaming is often overlooked,” Kay Hammond, CEO of TAMBA said. “Gamifying the learning experience increases emotional investment, helping the player acquire knowledge almost subconsciously through interaction with the game environment.”

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