"Xenophilia" – An Intercultural
Computer Game
Learning Intercultural Skills by
Playing
Why would the Chinese never blow their nose at the table,
and what is the name of the Islamic prayer leader? The computer game
"Xenophilia" guides young people through the world of social etiquette, good
manners, and customs in other countries. Petra Tabeling reports
After
school many young people sit in front of a computer and call up unreal worlds on
the computer screen with adventure games and "killer" games. The software game
"Xenophobia – The Intercultural Game," on the other hand, brings a very real and
everyday world to the computer screen: a world in which different cultures
coexist.
As in real life, players encounter people from different
cultures at home and abroad. Misunderstandings arise not only from insufficient
language skills but especially from a lack of knowledge about the other culture.
Understanding is the name of the game, and "Xenophilia" playfully explains
cultural values, manners, and customs in other nations.
This is how it
works: Players run across approximately one hundred questions as they travel
through five different continents. They are also provided with background
information about each country and its people. "Globi," a small companion,
accompanies players as they tour from country to country.
With each
correct answer, players accumulate basic knowledge about each region, building
so-called bridges of understanding between Germany and other regions around the
world.
The questions are highly complex. In particular they focus on
those customs and habits of other countries that can really make players sweat
if they are unfamiliar with them. But no matter what the outcome, the answers
are amusing.
Why do the Lebanese stick bread dough on the doors of
their houses?
For example, the answers to the questions of why you
should not greet someone in Greece with an open hand, as is our custom, or why
only men hold hands in Arab countries, or why bread dough might be stuck to
someone's door in Lebanon.
The second phase of "Xenophilia" focuses on
Germany: on everyday life and language, on prejudices and minorities,
nationality, and migration. This phase of the game in particular informs young
people about the reasons why refugees come to Germany, what illegality really
means, and gives them a glimpse at the difficulties immigrants face in their
everyday lives in Germany.
Especially in these sensitive points the
designers of "Xenophilia" skillfully demonstrate that difficult questions about
the politics of migration and asylum can be taught in a simple manner without
losing the complexity of the whole picture, and not least of all in a way that
breaks down prejudices.
"Xenophilia – The Intercultural Game" was created
by the Bavarian research network "forarea." For its game on intercultural
understanding, the project team was awarded the prestigious Comenius seal from
the Society for Pedagogy and Information (GPI). "Forarea," a competence network
for intercultural communication with its headquarters in Erlangen, has many
years of experience in this field.
An opportunity to break down
prejudices
The main objective of the research network is to advise
companies and institutions in all matters relating to intercultural
communication and management. Then, together with the Bavarian Ministry of
Science, it came up with the idea of developing an educational game to teach
young people intercultural skills.
According to Sonja Hock, the initiator
of "forarea," "Xenophilia" is ideal not only for classrooms but also for
projects involving young migrants and youth clubs dealing with
integration-specific issues.
In a time of abstract debates on
integration, "Xenophilia" is very successful as an entertaining educational game
that helps to break down the prejudices held by young people.
It is thus
a shame that other ministries of education and organizations interested in
promoting integration have not come forward to sponsor the game on a national
level. Nevertheless a version of "Xenophilia" will soon appear in
Switzerland.
Petra Tabeling
© Qantara.de
2005
Translation from German: Nancy Joyce