If you know me, you know I love words. I love the magic words are infused with and I love to create words. One thing I noticed was there did not seem to be in existence a word that could describe a person like me who enjoys learning languages with card games on the reg. I mean, it was like you would have to say “he or she is a person who likes learning languages with card games.” It’s a mouthful, right? It won’t work! So I set about trying to come up with something much more effective to convey this concept.
As I was doing research and designing games, I came across the term conlanger. Do you know what that is? A conlanger is someone who constructs languages for, for example, alien species in TV show and movies, languages like Klingon or Dauthraki. These made-up, constructed languages, are called conlangs, and the language creators are called conlangers. And it’s a whole field now, which you can even get a degree in, I believe, which I think is wonderful.
Anyway, that gave me the idea for how I should make my word. Really my word is just a play on that word: conlanger. My word is cardlanger and it denotes a person who loves to learn languages with card games. So what do you think of it? Let me know in the comments section? Are you a fellow cardlanger? Can I welcome you into the inner sanctum?!
So shortly after coming up with this most fitting term, my mind kind of spiraled off into a universe where people primarily learn languages with cards, and cards, in a way, channel their powers and abilities into magic. This led me to come up with a short novel that I’m working on called The Cardlanger Chronicles. So if you’re interested in this term and if you’re interested in this way of life, I highly recommend you check that out. I’m posting chunks of ten chapters online at LanguageCardGames.com for free. And I’ll link here to the first ten chapters.
In that story, three teenagers who attend Cardlanger Academy must go on a search to find their kidnapped Master Archidemus. Along the way, they learn languages and hone their magical skills using cards. It’s really cool! There’s nothing else like it out there and best of all there is a game that goes together with it as sort of a combo pack. That game is called Fighting Flashcards. Fighting Flashcards includes characters and words from the story. So if you like the story, try the game! If you like the game, try the story! I hope you’ll explore this term cardlanger with me and expand what it can mean.
There’s also a cardlanger’s code, which a secret society like this would be nothing without a code, right? So let me take a moment to share it and if you like it, I welcome you to internalize it as I have.
With creativity, we invent words. With attentiveness, we understand them. With responsibility, we share them. With discipline, we become them.
Alright that’s it for this post. Don’t forget to like and subscribe so that you and other likeminded people can find your way back to my latest and greatest content. You can also head over to the Language Card Games’ Shop to buy a game, support what I do, and start playing your way to language-learning success today.
