Describe how 3D Design & Printing could be used for language revitalization

3D printing could be an incredibly valuable tool for language revitalization. The first thing that I think of is creating games that can be powerful tools to help learn languages. I remember being a high school student and wishing I could make a scrabble type game with the Sm’algyax alphabet so that I could practice in a way my brain liked. People tend to learn more quickly and efficiently through play so if language revitalization groups had more access to 3D printers they would potentially be able to create more games to be distributed to language learners. This idea has me daydreaming about having a game cupboard like I had growing up in my house but filled with a mix of language games so my family could practice our language in every day life like family game night. It would make learning a language much more accessible. One con of 3D printing is the limited accessibility. Most language revitalization groups from my nations, and many First Nations in BC exist on reserves in small remote areas that don’t have access to a 3D printing machine. I wonder if grant money could solve that problem of accessibility for some, but even if you have the money for it you still have to build capacity in terms of having people who are able to run it and create designs to print.

If 3D design was built into curriculum and taught in schools, students would be able to learn an important skill and there would be ample opportunity for cross-curricular learning. In one of my elementary classes, one of our projects was to create a game. I remember feeling limited because we had to use pieces we could find for our game board, but if we had access to a 3D printer it would have opened up so much more creativity.

Here’s the keychain design I did from the workshop.