The LH/WAYK Confusion and retiring the Language Hunter's Kit

[Willem Larsen]

Hey gang,

So, with the most recent update to Language Hunt (version R!) I've decided to speak up and make a request about the term "LH/WAYK" that folks use from time to time here.

The Backstory

There is no doubt that Language Hunt wouldn't exist if it wasn't for WAYK - it grew out of my time co-developing WAYK for 2 years - and as recently as last Spring, the systems were still close enough that it probably made sense to lump them together as "LH/WAYK", so both groups could keep learning from each other. Actually, I haven't kept up with the WAYK folks so I'm not sure where WAYK is at - but in any case, certainly on our end the LH system has been open for cross-application and so on.

However, starting last Summer 2013, and more-or-less finishing now with the Spring 2014, we undertook a major effort to solve the array of problems that we felt we still saw with the Language Hunt system and that weren't solved yet - the difficulty of  learning the game, the sprawling nature of the system, the fussy-ness and OCD required to make it work at its best, the antagonistic prescriptiveness, the unclear role the game plays in a person's language learning, the ending of a clear roadmap at Novice-high, and so on.

All that work, solving those problems over this past year, culminated with a really satisfying play session with my family today - my partner and daughter played through a whole lap of Hungarian.

I'm really feeling we've now got a real, lightweight, easy to learn game, that is essentially done. The board works, the cards work, the game is casual and laid back, just like I always hoped. There are a couple more tweaks to the board I want to make - haha, but aren't there always? But the game really, really works. I'm super happy with it.

However, this means that it has become different from Where Are Your Keys in some key, important ways.

1. There are basically Five Rules (Keep It Alive, Do It For Real, Setting First, Start Obvious, Stay In The Flow) that guide play, along with the goals of copycatting and "playing to find out" what the language in play means.
   
2. There is a strict structure of Repetition rounds, Free Play rounds, Free Chats.
   
3. There is a strict structure of the 8 questions that govern laps around the board.
   
4. There is a strict structure of Center cards, Free Play cards, and Intermediate Topic cards that constrain play.
5. This is not a teaching philosophy or pedagogical approach. It's a game.
   
6. We don't mark techniques or rules during play. We don't discuss teaching strategies, or explain the whys and wherefores.
7. We don't call How Fascinating, talk about Killing Fairies, Mumbling, Travels With Charlie, or any of that. We follow the leader and have conversations, that's all. Again, there is no system of shared "techniques" or strategies here (we still use the ACTFL scale for design purposes of course).
8. The entirety of the game is contained in the game packet. 
   
9. There are no ideal curriculums or scripts. We encourage variation with what language you use to fill the conversation squares on the board (not within any one game session, but between them, of course).
   

You should also be able to download the game packet and begin playing without too much fuss -  watching a video or two (as linked in the game packet) is helpful, I'm sure, but essentially, it should be a similar experience to learning to play Settlers of Cataan or the like. Hopefully easier than that even.

In case anyone is wondering whether I'm comparing WAYK to LH, in terms of which is "better" - no, I'm not. What I'm saying is that the systems are incommensurable. 

Yes, they are the only two systems that I know of that both use gestures and TPR (the AIM folks and others do this), and additionally can be pointed at any language on the fly (no one else does this that I know of), however they have two different goals and two different rule-sets. 

It's really important to me that new players actually be able to learn the game we've spent the last year working so hard to design.

Next Steps

So, if you're still saying "LH/WAYK", whether on this group, or elsewhere, kindly, please stop, insofar as you are treating them as more-or-less the same thing. This suggests to me that you likely don't understand how to play Language Hunt, and I encourage you to ask for clarification. It won't help your WAYK play to conflate the two, anymore than knowing how to play Settlers of Cataan will help you learn Risk Legacy (or pick your favorite board games to compare).

I've retired the ebook Language Hunter's Kit (it's no longer for sale) because I do think it added to the confusion - it really was a game design reference that could have been applied to WAYK or LH. Now that we're done designing Language Hunt, we don't really need a handbook on language game design anymore!

Please feel free to ask me questions as they come up. I know there are a few WAYK fans here, so I know some of you may move on to the WAYK google group - if so, that's probably appropriate. This isn't a second place for asking WAYK questions, this is a group for talking about your Language Hunt games.

One final note - I'm sure you could use any of the LH resources to support your WAYK play, hacking both or either. That's fine, I'm not saying that's "bad" or anything. The Language Hunt game and the WAYK system, though different, are still the only two ways I know of to have a lightweight way to play with any language you choose. I'm not saying this is a taboo subject or anything. 

I'm just saying that I want to make sure that everyone understands how to play Language Hunt on its own terms, and that this LH play community has all the support it needs. It's a simple game, but as long as we confuse WAYK and LH, it will be difficult for new players to learn what is a very simple and constrained game at this point.

Whew! End of speech. Thanks everyone for coming along for the ride. Now go play!

yrs,

Willem

[Stefan]

is it still applicable to rather big groups? does it work with a lotus? have you tried doing something like bucket brigade with it? I suppose with a board on any table. Actually, this probably solves the problem of not having confident game leaders for the earlier tables?

what's with the retiring of "how fascinating?" :) I've always struggled to do it (not in my nature), but thought of it as an important way to ensure ALIVEness.

it would be really nice to have a rough roadmap of what you've done in one language over a range of sessions with the board. needs not to be very detailed, just some points that show where you have been in the language at any point, over several (5-10) sessions.

one characteristic of WAYK is that it changes a lot from early to advanced sessions, looking more like a casual conversation to outsiders in later stages. do you already have some experience with the board and later stages? or is it only to be used until a certain level?

ok, enough questions for now :) congratulations on reaching this point. I just taught over two hours of Cantonese to a French beginner, with two Cantonese hobby teachers watching in awe, and I know I wouldn't be there without the great work that you and Evan have done. no, I haven't used the board yet :) too lazy/busy to print it out, too cheap to order it :P but will do so soon.

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[Willem Larsen]

Stefan,

Great questions. I've played it with big groups, yes, including the "lotus". However, I hope to eventually retool the lotus so it fits more specifically to this game - for now it's a WAYK thing that still works with the LH game.

Bucket brigade is still a part of play - or rather, organizing according to peer proficiency groups is part of the game (beginners with beginners + a game leader and fluent speaker, intermediate with intermediates + a game leader and fluent speaker, etc.). 

The board has indeed solved huge problems with new people learning to run their own table. There is still a learning curve of course.

There's two reasons we (mostly) retired How Fascinating. The biggest one is, we usually play in immersion rounds, and we don't always have a translation handy for it, and so it doesn't get called because it would break the immersion. Two, we just don't seem to need it all that much with the new board. Player struggles don't get in the way of play. The style of play is much more laid back and not so controlling. I call how fascinating now and then, but more out of old habit.

"it would be really nice to have a rough roadmap of what you've done in one language over a range of sessions with the board. needs not to be very detailed, just some points that show where you have been in the language at any point, over several (5-10) sessions."

Yeah, this would be good, wouldn't it? I'd like to make a "sample language for each each Center  card lap" thing. Hmm. Maybe I'll squeeze that into the game packet here soon. 

"one characteristic of WAYK is that it changes a lot from early to advanced sessions, looking more like a casual conversation to outsiders in later stages. do you already have some experience with the board and later stages? or is it only to be used until a certain level?"

This still happens - as we lengthen the roadmap for the game (now up through Intermediate-mid topic cards), we're finding more and more ways that the board can keep supporting play. Basically, even with Superior language hunting you could use the board, have players make speeches, and ask them "What are your main points? Who is your audience? etc. etc." We're still experimenting with this obviously. Most of play is solidly Intermediate-mid and below at this point.

Thanks Stefan! 

yrs,

Willem