The game, Letter Lingo, was created by the Leitrim Development Company after research showed that language remains one of the biggest challenges for integration, especially among people from non-English speaking backgrounds.

“English classes are fantastic but there are a lot of people who don’t learn in that type of setting,” stated integration officer Deborah Shirlaw, the person responsible for the development of the game. “They find that they learn better when they do practical things,” she added.

Letter Lingo is designed for players of all levels, from beginners to fluent speakers, and aims to strengthen vocabulary and memory in a fun, engaging way. Players receive a letter or category, then compete to name related words and move towards the finish line, building confidence and communication skills along the way.

Irina, who moved to Leitrim from Ukraine, said playing the game has improved her pronunciation and vocabulary. Olusegun Ifade, from Nigeria, enjoys the game’s social aspect, saying it’s been a great way to meet people and practice English in a relaxed setting.

Originally, the team considered sourcing production from Italy. But ended up finding a game designer closer to home. The final product was printed and packed in Co. Galway.

Now being distributed free to community groups across Ireland, Letter Lingo has already sparked interest from other countries. “We’ve had inquiries about the game from other European countries,” said Ms Shirlaw, “I actually think it could travel far.”