Phono Play: A Chetti Sound Museum

Minority languages worldwide are undergoing rapid phonological and lexical shifts due to sociocultural pressures and dominance of majority languages. This project develops PhonoPlay, a prototype application that transforms sociolinguistic research findings into an interactive learning tool for language preservation. Drawing on a case study of the Chetti community in Melaka, Malaysia, where the phonological variable (r) in word-final position is disappearing among younger speakers, the application integrates gamification mechanics such as scoring, levels, and speech recognition to encourage pronunciation practice. Learners engage in pronunciation challenges across different speech styles; formal and casual, thereby raising awareness of linguistic variation and identity. In other words, PhonoPlay works like a language learning game plus digital museum. Users play through pronunciation challenges, style-shifting tasks, and cultural activities. In return, they collect badges and fill their Chetti Sound Museum, making language learning fun, personal, and meaningful. Beyond the Chetti case, PhonoPlay offers a framework adaptable to other minority languages, particularly in multilingual contexts. This innovation bridges research, education, and technology, aligning with efforts to sustain linguistic diversity in the digital age.

application, minority language, phonological variation

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