Vietnam/Hanoi: workshops on the design and production of serious games for language teachers (FLE)

Building on the success of the innovative training course entitled "Ateliers ludiques de conception et de production de jeux sérieux à destination des enseignants.e.s de français langue étrangère (FLE)", organized in 2024, the AUF - Asia-Pacific is renewing the initiative and offering an in-depth session from June 8 to 10 at the Campus numérique francophone (CNF) in Hanoi.

The main aim of these workshops was to:

• Provide teachers with innovative ways to improve their teaching effectiveness;
• Stimulate teachers' creative thinking by helping them design unique learning activities through the creation of games;
• Link theoretical concepts to practical applications by enabling them to design and produce concrete games;
• Introduce tools and resources to help teachers design and implement learning activities.

The workshops were privileged to count on the expertise of Mr. John Kenwright, educational consultant and serious games designer at Grenoble INP - UGA (Engineering and Management Schools), who acted as lead trainer. During these sessions, he shared his experience of best practice in educational game design, as well as innovative strategies for energizing learning and engaging participants.

In 2024, teachers discovered the world of serious games under the guidance of trainer John Kenwright. During the workshops, they took an active part in the design of game cards, working closely together to develop content adapted to Vietnamese curricula and student audiences.

The teachers were even able to invite their students to attend the course and test the games they had designed live with them. The experience proved to be particularly concrete and enriching, both for the teaching staff and the students.

" I work mainly with B2 level students. I've already incorporated discussion topics adapted to this level, and the participants draw cards on which I've inscribed different issues. For example, when we talk about social networking, the question might be: Should young people be banned from using social networking sites? Based on a specific issue, learners can come up with arguments and develop their own point of view. I think this workshop is really constructive and stimulates learners' creativity. Thank you very much to AUF for organizing such a useful training for French teachers like me " - Ms. DANG Hai Ly, teacher in the French Department at Hanoi University.

"I had already taken this course last year and discovered some very useful games. This year, the experience was even richer: instead of limiting ourselves to discovery, we actually took part in designing the games and putting them into practice with the students. These activities not only serve to reinforce language skills, but also to create simulated situations, such as job interviews. AUF's organization was exemplary, and the CNF's facilities were remarkable " - Ms NGUYEN Thi Thanh Huong, teacher at the Hanoi Polytechnic Institute.

The training gave participants the practical skills needed to create pedagogical games, transforming their courses into dynamic and engaging activities.

Source: www.auf.org/