Christina Yang Develops ChaoVR for the Kenner Room
ChaoVR, a virtual reality game designed by Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Design Master of Design student Christina Yang (MDes ’25), has been fully funded by the Kenner Room, part of the Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics at CMU. Chao VR introduces users to the Chaoshan dialect and culture through exploring tangible cultural heritage and activities with cultural significance and is on target to be on display by August 2025.
“Growing up in Chaoshan, I was lucky to learn our dialect from my family, who were my primary language teachers,” said Yang. “However, after moving abroad to study, my fluency began declining without regular practice. This experience showed me how crucial an immersive environment is for learning and maintaining this dialect, especially since it lacks a standardized written form.”
Chaoshan is a cultural-linguistic region in the east of Guangdong, China. According to Yang, there's a common belief that only those born in Chaoshan or with Chaoshan-speaking families can learn the dialect. This combined with the absence of written documentation, poses significant challenges for preserving the Chaoshan linguistic heritage.
Users of ChaoVR will find themselves immersed in traditional activities like preparing for a traditional Chaoshan festival or taking part in the Fire Dragon Dance. Rather than teaching the dialect directly, taking part in activities like these allow users to absorb basic phrases in their authentic context.
“When language becomes part of experiencing our cultural traditions, learning feels more organic and meaningful,” said Yang. “I hope users will connect with both our language and rich cultural heritage.”
As a designer, Yang believes language learning is most effective when woven naturally into cultural experiences.
“The School of Design equipped me with crucial skills in VR development and user experience design,” added Yang. “This knowledge helped me transform my cultural experiences into an engaging digital environment. I learned how to make our traditions accessible while maintaining their authenticity, and how to create effective learning experiences in virtual spaces.”
The Kenner Room is a space for collaboration and cross-cultural understanding led by the Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Designed as a flexible and technology-enhanced learning environment, The Kenner Room brings together students, faculty and researchers to explore language, identity and culture through immersive interactive projects, innovative teaching methods and advanced digital technologies.