Pick up Malay words with new app

STUDENTS can now pick up new Malay words while having fun with a new free mobile gaming app.

The Pintar Kata ("smart in vocabulary", in Malay) app is a game that aims to improve players' vocabulary by getting them to look for Malay words in a grid of letters. The app also teaches users the meaning and usage of the words formed.

The app created by the Malay Language Centre of Singapore was launched yesterday by Education Minister Heng Swee Keat at the annual Malay Language Seminar.

Mr Heng said the app was an example of harnessing technology in education.

"It is very important for us to look for different ways to make the learning of the language interesting, and the app is a useful way to make it fun and interactive," he told reporters.

Secondary school teacher Elyani Mohamed, 35, said her two children enjoyed using the app, which can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. She said the user-friendly interface with its graphics and music made it "catchy and inviting". "Children nowadays like technology, and the app allows them to learn their mother tongue in a fun way," she added.

Four hundred educators attended the one-day event yesterday to discuss best practices in teaching Malay. Ten schools also exhibited their Malay-language teaching and learning resources.

Said Mr Heng: "Our different races, including the Malay community, are rich in heritage and cultural treasures. A strong grasp of language is the foundation that empowers people to explore their cultural assets."

This article was first published on June 5, 2015.
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