GAMES AS A GATEWAY TO ROMANIAN: BOARD GAMES AND ONLINE ACTIVITIES FOR EXPLORING ROMANIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
GAMES AS A GATEWAY TO ROMANIAN: BOARD GAMES AND ONLINE ACTIVITIES FOR EXPLORING ROMANIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Summary/Abstract: This article explores the use of board and digital games as tools for teaching Romanian as a foreign language in non-formal educational contexts. Drawing on both theoretical insights and practical implementation, the study involved over 500 participants from diverse age groups (4 to 78 years old), including children, teenagers, university students, and seniors. Participants engaged with six different games—ranging from physical matching cards and traditional board games to digital platforms such as Wordwall and Kahoot—designed to promote reading skills, vocabulary acquisition, intercultural awareness, and stimulate motivation for learning. The games specifically targeted key phonological and lexical features of Romanian, such as the unique letters (ă, â, ș, ț) and common digraphs (ce/ci, che/chi, ghe/ghi). Through intercomprehension strategies, learners made cross-linguistic connections between Romanian and Slovene (e.g., ceai/ čaj, șuncă/ šunka), recognizing shared etymologies and phonetic patterns. Over short sessions (~30 minutes), learners successfully acquired over 50 Romanian words and reported increased interest in pursuing further language study. We expected that the learners would prefer digital tools. Surprisingly, many participants—particularly children accustomed to mobile phones—chose physical games when offered. This preference may reflect school policies restricting device use or the intrinsic appeal of tactile, collaborative play. Overall, the results affirm that both board and online games foster learner engagement, reduce language anxiety, and support vocabulary retention across age groups. Moreover, the activities created inclusive, playful spaces aligned with CEFR’s action-oriented approach, where spontaneous interaction and communicative practice emerged naturally. Game-based learning thus proves a valuable method for introducing lesser-taught languages like Romanian, offering learners both linguistic and cultural entry points in a motivating, low-stress environment.

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