ChineseSkill uses the classic videogame tactic of “unlocking” levels only when you get enough multiple choice answers right, bringing users back again and again as they try to beat their own memory.
A lesser-considered obstacle in Chinese learning is learning to write characters correctly, a time-consuming technique that greatly enhances one’s ability to remember them.
Skritter instructs users on the order and direction of strokes with bright graphics and feedback that flashes when you miss, recalling another popular game called “Fruit Ninja”.
“The only way to quickly learn lots of characters is to write them over and over (20-30 times),” Hong Kong-based businessman Brad Jester told AFP by email.
“I started by doing this on paper, but Skritter is better because it replays them for you in a better timed sequence.”
Helpful tools, not a panacea
A key question is whether these methods work any better than traditional immersion in a native-speaking environment or a traditional classroom.
Jester, now a fluent speaker, commented: “People sometimes think they can take the easy route of using flashcards and dictionaries to learn Chinese but that is 100 percent not the case.
“Until these apps shame you into studying harder, they will just be helpful tools that reinforce lessons learned,” he said.
Linguistics expert Dr. Peter Crosthwaite of the University of Hong Kong believes such apps may facilitate memorisation — an important aspect of language learning — but cannot offer the holistic approach a good teacher would deliver.
“Due to the continued growth and expansion of China’s economy, more people than ever are wishing to learn Chinese,” Crosthwaite said.
However, “There are very, very few examples of the internet being used to teach someone a language from a beginner to advanced level of proficiency,” he cautioned.
“The gamification of (language) learning is, in my opinion, a welcome approach — particularly with children — although one must be careful to focus on the learning aspect of the tasks, rather than the point-scoring.”
