Tech Tool of the Week: Catch Me If You Can!

Catch Me If You Can! Primer 1
level with simplified characters.
Topic: restaurant phrases.

This week's featured technology tool is a set of Mandarin learning apps created by none other than one of our very own parents here at Chinese American International School! "Catch Me If You Can!" is a series of games designed for children or adults with some knowledge of Chinese.

In the Primer 1 level, students practice
vocabulary used in corresponding
Level 1/2 games.

In each game, students listen to and “chase after” Chinese words and phrases to create sentences. These words and phrases are drawn from a single topic of interest, and different versions of the app exist for different topics. (For example, topics include classroom, cooking, restaurant, shopping, swimming, and even losing a tooth!) 

The app lets students listen to the sound of each word and see how words are used in making different sentences that are idiomatic and colloquial. While the goal of the game is to "catch" all the phrases and sentences presented, students have the ability to advance at their own pace and replay words/phrases as needed. In addition, students can choose to listen to the phrase word by word, listen to the whole sentence, or have only visual cues. Finally, students can also freely explore the sound of each word and try to make phrases and sentences independently.

The inspiration for app developer Tiny Watt Games in creating these games was found in a problem faced by students at our school. Learning a foreign language in a classroom setting means that students have limited opportunity to hear how words and phrases are used in daily conversation. By playing Catch Me If You Can!, students can improve their Mandarin acquisition by increasing their exposure to spoken Chinese.

Level 1 is more complex than Primer 1
and requires students to listen to and
"chase after" Chinese words and
 phrases to create sentences.

Catch Me If You Can! Level 1
with simplified characters,
restaurant theme.

Catch Me If You Can! is available in both simplified and traditional Chinese characters. In addition, for each topic, several versions of the app exist: P1 (Primer 1), L1 (Level 1), and, in some cases, L2 (Level 2). The P1 level is free and is designed to give students the ability to practice the vocabulary used in the corresponding Level 1/Level 2 games. Level 1 is designed for 3rd-5th graders learning in a Mandarin immersion environment; Level 2 is more appropriate for 4th-6th graders.

To learn more about these fantastic apps, check out the Tiny Watt Games blog. Here you will find more information about the apps as well as all the phrases used in each game. Special thanks to CAIS parent and Tiny Watt Games founder Pei Yu for developing this fantastic series of apps and allowing us to use it on our school iPads with our students!