From Gamer to Game Designer

Taiwanese students learn Chinese from 3 years old using Bopomofo (Zhuyin Fuhao), but they still struggle with spelling and reading, even in middle school. Thus, we guided students still struggling to read Chinese text to use their logical skills and creativity to incorporate the Bopomofo phonetic alphabet into the Rummikub strategy board game. Over six weeks of tutoring, the students shifted from a passive to an active learning attitude, enhancing their enthusiasm for learning. The Zhuyin Fuhao Rummikub board game developed by them received positive feedback in several areas: game experience (4.42/5), self-assessment of learning outcomes (4.31/5), clarity of rules (4.52/5), and learning motivation (3.85/5 and 3.79/5). These results indicate that the board game is highly effective and well-received, underscoring its value in Chinese language learning and teaching. In conclusion, this teaching module can benefit students, educators, and parents. Educators can use this game-based design to inspire the creation of more engaging instructional content.