Sembang!: a card game bridging intercultural gaps on Malaysian dialects via game-based education

Malaysia’s multicultural society houses a plethora of dialects, reflecting distinct identities and lived experiences within shared languages. Despite this richness, these dialectal differences are often trivialised or stereotyped. Additionally, many Malaysians still face difficulties in recognising and adapting to such a variety. Understanding these variations is essential for effective intercultural communication and helps reduce the issue of dialects being discriminated against and seen as inferior to others. ‘Sembang!’ is a card-based game aimed at enhancing Malaysians’ awareness of local dialects and promoting an entertaining, collaborative learning experience. Guided by the ADDIE instructional design model, the game adopts a prompt– response, judge-mediated format in which players respond to prompts using cards written in specific dialects, with a rotating judge evaluating the appropriateness and justification of each response. The player with the best response will be awarded the prompt card. The game is decided by the number of prompt cards won at the end of the game. This interactive structure encourages semantic interpretation, critical thinking, and reflective language use, while supporting diverse learning styles. The game was tested with participants from different backgrounds, with its effectiveness measured via a set of administered pre-test and post-test. Findings indicate an effective improvement of dialectical vocabulary through collaborative learning and social play. Overall, ‘Sembang!’ demonstrates the potential of culture-based educational games to support language learning, promotes intercultural sensitivity and challenges dialect-related stereotypes, whilst also becoming an inclusive and effective approach for integrating local dialects within various educational contexts.