Migrants new to Australia are using an innovative game of snakes and ladders to help prepare them to pass the Australian citizenship test.
Students with migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia have helped to develop the game – learning tool which improves their English as well helping them acquire the knowledge of Australian culture and history needed to pass the citizenship test.
The game, devised by AMES Australia teachers Ewa Ronacher and Rajia Gill, incorporates the information needed to pass the citizenship test on a snakes and ladders-style board.
“We decided that if we researched the information and prepared questions and answers that are required in order to successfully pass the Citizenship test then our project would be of benefit to many new migrants,” Ewa said.
“We based our game on the Snakes and Ladders game as it could easily incorporate questions and answers,” she said.
The students gathered the practise questions from websites and various publications and books.
Pictures were sourced from the internet and additional questions were created to allow for the various language abilities of the players. Nearly 100 questions were created. This allows teachers to select level appropriate questions for their class.
The aim of the game is to correctly answer and thus gain the largest number of cards in order to win.
Each card was numbered so that answers could be recorded on the answer sheet.
Each card has a map of Australia on it with the underside having the question. For example; What animal is on a 20 cent coin?
“The students have gained a lot of skills in preparing their project and each person was very actively involved in learning how to prepare a Word document, inserting text and illustration into the boxes,” Ewa said.
“Everyone was involved and were excited to see the project come together over time,” she said.
There are plans to roll the game out to other migrant English classes across Australia.
Vietnamese migrant Chunh said the game was an engaging way to learn about Australia and improve his language skills.
“It’s a very good way of learning these things because we can interact as a class and help each other learn,” he said.
“And with so many questions and answers, I am learning things about Australia that I probably wouldn’t have come across, Chanh said.
Indian migrant Manpreet Kaur Sohi said the game was fun.
“It makes learning about Australia and the things you need to know to pass the citizenship test so easy. And we have all learned so much in just being involved in creating the game,” she said.
