By Anis Izaty binti Ahmad Zamri
On 24th June 2025, third-year students from the English for Global Communication (EGC) program, Faculty of Education, Language and Communication (FELC), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), lit up SK Payau, Serian with laughter and learning through their exciting outreach project, “Play Your Way to English”. This initiative is part of UNIMAS’ commitment to SDG 4, which promotes inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all, in line with its mission to serve as a university for the community.
A total of 42 EGC students, led by Puteri Aisyah Umayrah binti Megat Mohd Rosdeen and Anis Izaty binti Ahmad Zamri, together with 61 students from SK Payau, took part in the interactive program, which aimed to enhance English proficiency through gamified learning. The program also fostered collaboration between the public university and the local community in an educational setting while simultaneously strengthening the university students’ skills in facilitation, leadership, and management.
The fun activities included are Snake and Ladder Board Game, Mystery Box, Among Us, Fast and Fluent, Charades, TikTik Boom and Tiny Tiles Scrabble. The first station featured the Snake and Ladder Board Game, which aimed to improve students’ sentence structure through question-and-answer prompts placed along the game board. This activity encouraged the construction of complete and grammatically correct sentences in a playful setting.
At the Mystery Box station, students were tasked with identifying hidden objects placed inside a box using only their sense of touch. Among Us was adapted into a vocabulary game. Each student drew a picture card, with one receiving a different image as the imposter. Without showing their cards, students described their images, and the group worked together to identify the odd one out. This activity helped to build critical thinking and problem-solving through observation, deduction, and strategic communication.
The Fast and Fluent was a fun twist on the traditional Spelling Bee. Using a remote-control car, students navigated to letters placed on the floor to spell out words. This activity combined spelling skills with hand-eye coordination and teamwork. In Charades, students acted out given words or phrases without speaking while their teammates guessed the word. The game enhanced vocabulary recall and encouraged expressive body language.
TikTik Boom involved students sitting in a circle and passing a ball while music played. When the music stopped, the student holding the ball had to quickly answer a vocabulary-themed question. Lastly, Tiny Tiles Scrabble allowed students to form words using letter tiles. They competed in teams to create as many correct English words as possible within a time limit, promoting spelling accuracy and quick thinking.
During the closing ceremony, the principal of SK Payau, Madam Beatrice Simon, emphasized the importance of the collaboration in enhancing students’ interest in learning and encouraging them to aim high in their academic journey, especially as they look ahead to their university years. She also expressed her hope to continue working with UNIMAS in the future, particularly in efforts to strengthen STEM skills among the students. Dr Soo Ruey Shing from UNIMAS responded by showing his support for the collaboration and agreed that programs like this are meaningful and should continue.
One special moment from his speech was when he shared how a young boy from SK Payau came up to him during the activities and asked, “Teacher, can you come here again?” Dr Soo smiled and laughed a little, “To the boy, and to all. I promise, we will come back.”
This event marks a meaningful collaboration between the two educational institutions. EGC will continue to committedly nurturing its relationship with SK Payau through meaningful initiatives that bring lasting benefits to both the university and the community.