Finding Penpal
Finding Penpal is a language learning game designed for beginners of Korean as a foreign language. It is based on the concept of immersion, inspired by how children naturally acquire language.
C.A
UX Design
Role
Concept, UX Design & Illustration
Timeline
6 Months
team
Jenny, Tony, Me
platform
Unity (interactive experience)
Trailer
As in film, trailers play a crucial role in games by offering a brief insight into the story, characters, and overall theme. They help spark curiosity about how the narrative begins and develops over time. For this project, I also produced trailer videos to introduce the concept and engage the audience.
Visual Concept
The virtual language journey served as the foundation for the game’s narrative. We focused on Jeju Island (Jeju-do) in the south of Korea as the main setting. Cultural elements were expressed through character names, traditional clothing, native animals, and mythical creatures.
Level Design
In the first level, the main character travels from the harbor to the bus stop, completing a series of challenges along the way that introduce basic grammar and vocabulary.
Self-introduction and greetings
“What is this?”: asking questions and ordering (1)
“Is there…?”: asking questions and ordering (2)
“Where is…?”: locations
Buying a bus ticket: numbers
Voice Control
Goal of Integration:
Voice interaction was introduced as a natural extension beyond reading, writing, and listening, allowing users to actively practice and improve their pronunciation within the game.
Implementation:
The system uses built-in Windows speech recognition, integrated through a C# script in Unity. It responds to predefined keywords corresponding to in-game vocabulary, with NPCs reacting only when the correct words are used in the appropriate context.
Auditory Context – Focus on Listening Comprehension:
Learners are encouraged to intuitively understand new vocabulary and phrases through situational context, combining visual and audio cues.
Reinforcement – Focus on Vocabulary Confirmation:
Subtitles serve as a tool for immediate verification of previously heard vocabulary, helping to reinforce and solidify learning.
