Karelian Language and Culture: a Qualitative User Study of Mobile and Web Games Leena Arhippainen Paula Alavesa INTERACT Research Unit Center for Ubiquitous Computing University of Oulu University of Oulu Finland Finland 0000−0001−6698−9788 0000−0003−3546−5150 Abstract —Revitalizing endangered minority languages is The Kielimestari [17] game is developed for learning important from the perspective of preserving cultural diversity. minority languages of Finland such as Swedish, Northern Games and gamified application can provide ways to support Sámi and Karelian. Karelian quiz texts in the game are made learning minority languages and their dialects. We present user in Viena Karelian. The Viena - Epic Kalevala Adventure [18] experience insights from a small-scale user study conducted for game has great visual design and sounds. It introduces a player a selection of freely available Karelian language and culture related games. By sharing our findings, we want to raise to Karelian culture by narration, but the texts are in Finnish or discussion about how gamification and serious games can help English. Karelian language is not provided or taught in the in revitalizing minority languages such as Karelian language. It game. Another visually rich mobile game is Heroes of is important to find out different ways for co-creation and co- Kalevala [19]. This game familiarizes a player to Kalevala operation in minority language also from the perspective of stories and heroes, but is only in English. Any learning aspects game development. For this study we recruited five participants, relating to Karelian language is not provided. These two whose age varied between 4 to 72. The reception of games games can be seen developed more for literary tourism and depended on the previous experiences of Karelian language and culture purposes, than Karelian language learning. personal history. We noticed that the expectations for learning games vary with different aged participants. The existing games are examples of an attempt to help people learn Karelian language [15-17] or culture by Keywords—Karelian language, Karelian culture, Minority leveraging digital media [18, 19]. However, more gamified languages, Revitalization, Serious games, User study applications and serious games are needed both in mobile and I. INTRODUCTION web platforms for different user groups. In addition, it is important to provide learning applications for both Finnish Karelian language is classified as a highly endangered and Karelians in Finland and Russia, Republic of Karelia. In language [1] and it is divided into Karelian Proper and Olonets this paper, we present findings based on a qualitative small- Karelian (Livvi Karelian). Karelian Proper is further divided scale user study. Our goal is to explore how Finnish speaking into North Karelian (Viena), and South Karelian (Suvi) [2-5]. people with varying backgrounds receive mobile Karelian Strong actions and digital solutions are required for language learning games. revitalizing Karelian language in the near future. Traditionally, formal studies, books and social interactions II. RELATED WORK have been used for learning language and culture. The aim of Games and gamification can help in creating more gamification approach is to develop games from non-gaming attractive context independent learning solutions. The target contexts by applying game design elements for engaging of gamification is to increase the motivation and engagement players and increasing their motivation [6-8], which are key of users [20, 22]. Game elements in learning games are factors for increasing the effectiveness in language and culture simpler and fewer than in entertainment games [9-11, 23]. In learning. Gamification approach in educational games can an ideal situation they are based on best pedagogical practices, improve experiences (e.g. fun) and knowledge acquisition, as while game design elements can be shown as levels, progress an enhancement to face-to-face learning in the classroom status, and score [6]. context [9, 10] and increase willingness of learners to learn. Mobile or computer educational games can provide better A. Accessibility and Ease of Use learning environments than using only a traditional approach Even simple entertainment games are saturated with [9, 11, 12]. language and known to enable unintentional language There are not many existing web or mobile games for learning [21]. In educational games learning can happen while learning Karelian language and culture [13, 14]. There exists playing the games with interesting and attractive online game called Riputandupučas [15] which is a hangman- playthroughs. Educational games concentrate on engagement, type game for learning Livvi Karelian. In the game, the simpler features, gameplay, and learning activities [10, 20], Karelian alphabets are provided, and thus the player can easily which increase the willingness of players to learn and the select the letters with háček mark, for instance, š, č and ž. effectiveness of knowledge acquisition. Educational games Another web games for learning Livvi Karelian can be found should be easy to play and focus on the educational aspects from the Digital Dialects platform [16], which provides easy rather than social interactions that can be the goal of pure and simple learning games for beginners with various themes, entertainment games [24]. However, in the context of minority for instance, numbers, days, months, colors, foods, animals, languages the revitalization is an important target and this vocabulary and phrases. Animations and audio material are target cannot be achieved by ignoring the social aspects [25]. utilized in the game design. 978-1-6654-3886-5/21/$31.00 ©2021 IEEE Accessibility of the learning tools becomes relevant when learned some Viena words in their Viena related hobbies by different age-groups are brought together [23]. singing, playing, or acting. However, during the COVID-19 situation, these hobby events had been cancelled since of Research on the effectiveness of educational games for spring 2020. According to participants’ own estimation, they English learning shows better knowledge acquisition and could understand Viena Karelian based on the Finnish improve listening, reading, and writing skills [26]. Moreover, language and they knew some basic words or could formulate those skills can be complemented with video and audio simple sentences. They did not have prior skills of writing or materials to increase the effectiveness of learning, rather than speaking Livvi Karelian, which is more difficult to understand by using only written texts [9]. It is important to notice that based on Finnish. However, they knew that Livvi is one skills such as listening, reading, writing, and speaking can be dialect of Karelian language. taught with language learning games [27, 28]. Games can be untiring tutors and computers can provide repetitive and B. Evaluation Setup targeted feedback, regardless of time and location, which can We collected player experiences by interviewing and be especially useful for grammar and vocabulary learning observing during gameplay and game walkthroughs. The [21]. process of the evaluation is depicted in the Fig 1. The findings B. Digital Games in Karelian Context from the Study I are reported in the paper (P1) [32]. In this paper we concentrate on our qualitative findings based on the Games for learning Karelian language are difficult to find. five games (Fig. 1, P2). Online games called Riputandupučas [15] and Digital Dialects games [16] are found and they focus on learning Livvi Each test took from one to two hours. The Study II was Karelian. Digital Dialects platform provides several organized on another day and it included co-located and minigames with various languages and themes. Audio and collaborative playing sessions as well. Mobile applications for visual features help beginners to hear pronunciation especially Android OS; Viena – epic Kalevala Adventure [18], words with š, č and ž letters. Kielimestari [17], Heroes of Kalevala [19], Kalevala Application [30] were tested from mobile phone and Digital A mobile game called Kielimestari [17] supports learning Dialects Karelian [16] web games from a laptop because it did Viena Karelian. There are also some games developed for not properly scale for mobile phone use. We have not been introducing about the Finnish national epic the Kalevala such involved in developing any of these five games. Even though as Heroes of Kalevala [19], Viena - Epic Kalevala Adventure the mobile applications [18, 19, 30] were not designed as [18] and the Kalevala application [30], which include language learning purposes, we wanted to show them to the Kalevala runes (cantos) as a text format. However, these participants because they are relatively new, and provided Kalevala related games and applications are not enough for culture and minority language knowledge for players. Also, learning Karelian language. For instance the Kalevala their audio-visual design was more advanced than in our application is only in Finnish, not in Karelian, even though the games (Fig. 1, Study 1: phases 2-5) and we wanted to extend Kalevala is published in Viena Karelian [31]. the sample of games towards entertainment games too, to III. EVALUATION explore the value of these games for learners. Therefore, we thought that these games (Fig. 1, Study I: phases 6-7, Study II: This chapter presents the study process and methods for phases 2-4) could provide a fruitfull basis for discussion