Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a new video game set in old Baghdad. For the first time, the game’s heroes speak Arabic, not English. The people who made the game, Ubisoft, wanted it to feel real. Fans are happy because their language and culture are shown in a good way.

The Arabic in the game is very old but many people still understand it. The people who speak in the game are good at Arabic. They made sure everything, even small things, are right in Arabic. The game shows how important Baghdad and the Arab world were in history. Some fans hope this game will make more people want to make games about the Middle East. But, some people are upset because they heard bad things about Ubisoft. Ubisoft says they don’t know about these bad things. The game is liked because it shows Arabic language and old Baghdad in a good way. It might make more games show different places and cultures.

Original news source: Assassin’s Creed Mirage: Why Arabic is at the heart of the new game (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a set of vocabulary cards related to the article (e.g. video game, Arabic, Baghdad, culture, history). One student from each group will act out the word on the card without speaking, while the other group members try to guess the word. The group that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: Have the students take turns summarizing the main points of the article in their own words. Encourage them to use simple sentences and focus on the key information. Monitor their summaries and provide feedback on accuracy and clarity.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper and put them in a bag or hat. Divide the class into pairs or small groups. One student from each group will pick a word from the bag and draw a picture representing that word on the board. The other students in the group must guess the word. The group that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Choose several important keywords from the article and write dashes on the board to represent the letters in each word. Have the students take turns guessing letters to try and complete the words. If a student guesses a correct letter, write it in the appropriate place in the word. If a student guesses a wrong letter, start drawing a hangman on the board. The students must guess all the keywords before the hangman is completed.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write down some key vocabulary words from the article on the board. Have the students take turns saying a word that they associate with each word on the board. Encourage them to explain their associations, using simple sentences. This activity helps reinforce vocabulary and build connections between words.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the name of the new video game?
2. Where is the video game set?
3. Do the heroes in the game speak English or Arabic?
4. Why are the fans happy about the game?
5. Is the Arabic in the game easy to understand?
6. Why do some fans hope this game will inspire more games about the Middle East?
7. Why are some people upset with Ubisoft?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a new video game set in old (1)______. For the first time, the game’s heroes speak Arabic, not English. The people who made the game, Ubisoft, wanted it to feel real. (2)______ are happy because their language and culture are shown in a good way.

The (3)______ in the game is very old but many (4)______ still understand it. The people who speak in the game are good at Arabic. They made sure everything, even small things, are right in Arabic. The game (5)______ how important Baghdad and the Arab world were in history. Some fans hope this game will make more people want to make games about the (6)______ East. But, some people are upset because they heard bad things about (7)______. Ubisoft says they don’t know about these bad things. The game is liked because it shows Arabic language and old Baghdad in a good way. It might make more games show (8)______ places and cultures.
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Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is Assassin’s Creed Mirage?
2. How would you feel if you saw a video game that showed your language and culture in a good way?
3. Do you like playing video games? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about the idea of making more games about the Middle East?
5. Why do you think it’s important for video games to show different places and cultures?
6. What do you know about old Baghdad?
7. How do you think the people who made the game made sure everything was right in Arabic?
8. Do you think it’s good that the heroes in the game speak Arabic instead of English? Why or why not?
9. Have you heard any bad things about Ubisoft? Why do you think some people are upset with them?
10. How do you think the game might make more people want to make games about the Middle East?
11. What is your favorite video game? Why do you like it?
12. Do you think it’s important for video games to feel real? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. video game
2. Arabic
3. Ubisoft
4. heroes
5. language
6. culture
7. upset
8. history

Meanings:
(a) The words people use to talk to each other
(b) The things that happened a long time ago
(c) The way people talk in a special country
(d) A fun game you play on a TV or computer
(e) Feeling sad or mad about something
(f) The name of the company that made the game
(g) The brave and strong characters in the game
(h) The things that people do and believe in
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Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the new video game?
(a) Old Baghdad Heroes
(b) Assassin’s Creed Mirage
(c) Arabic Adventure
(d) Ubisoft’s Game

2. What language do the heroes speak in the game?
(a) English
(b) French
(c) Spanish
(d) Arabic

3. Why are fans happy about the game?
(a) Because it shows their language and culture in a good way
(b) Because it has a lot of action and adventure
(c) Because it is set in a big city
(d) Because it is made by Ubisoft

4. Is the Arabic in the game easy to understand?
(a) No, it is very difficult to understand
(b) Yes, many people still understand it
(c) It is a mix of easy and difficult words
(d) The game doesn’t have any Arabic

5. What does the game show about Baghdad and the Arab world?
(a) That they are not important anymore
(b) That they are not real places
(c) That they are dangerous places
(d) That they were important in history

6. What do some fans hope this game will do?
(a) Make more people want to learn Arabic
(b) Make more people want to play video games
(c) Make more people want to make games about the Middle East
(d) Make more people want to visit Baghdad

7. Why are some people upset about Ubisoft?
(a) Because the game is too difficult to play
(b) Because the game is too expensive
(c) Because they heard bad things about the company
(d) Because they don’t like video games

8. Why is the game liked by many people?
(a) Because it shows Arabic language and old Baghdad in a good way
(b) Because it has a lot of action and adventure
(c) Because it is made by Ubisoft
(d) Because it is set in a big city

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The heroes in the game speak Arabic, not English.
2. The game does not show how important Baghdad and the Arab world were in history.
3. The Arabic spoken in the game is very old, but many people can still understand it.
4. Some fans hope this game will inspire more games about the Middle East.
5. The people who made the game, Ubisoft, did not want it to feel real.
6. Fans of the game are unhappy because it shows their language and culture in a bad way.
7. There is an old video game called Assassin’s Creed Mirage set in modern Baghdad.
8. The people who speak in the game are good at Arabic and made sure everything is right.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is the name of the new video game?
2. What language do the heroes speak in the game?
3. Why are fans happy about the game?
4. What is special about the Arabic in the game?
5. What do some fans hope will happen because of this game?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the name of the new video game?
The name of the new video game is Assassin’s Creed Mirage.

2. Where is the video game set?
The video game is set in old Baghdad.

3. Do the heroes in the game speak English or Arabic?
The heroes in the game speak Arabic, not English.

4. Why are the fans happy about the game?
The fans are happy because the game shows their language and culture in a good way.

5. Is the Arabic in the game easy to understand?
Yes, the Arabic in the game is easy to understand for many people, even though it is very old.

6. Why do some fans hope this game will inspire more games about the Middle East?
Some fans hope this game will inspire more games about the Middle East because it shows how important Baghdad and the Arab world were in history.

7. Why are some people upset with Ubisoft?
Some people are upset with Ubisoft because they heard bad things about the company, although Ubisoft says they don’t know about these bad things.
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Baghdad
(2) Fans
(3) Arabic
(4) people
(5) shows
(6) Middle
(7) Ubisoft
(8) different
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Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. video game
Answer: (d) A fun game you play on a TV or computer

2. Arabic
Answer: (c) The way people talk in a special country

3. Ubisoft
Answer: (f) The name of the company that made the game

4. heroes
Answer: (g) The brave and strong characters in the game

5. language
Answer: (a) The words people use to talk to each other

6. culture
Answer: (h) The things that people do and believe in

7. upset
Answer: (e) Feeling sad or mad about something

8. history
Answer: (b) The things that happened a long time ago
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the new video game?
Answer: (b) Assassin’s Creed Mirage

2. What language do the heroes speak in the game?
Answer: (d) Arabic

3. Why are fans happy about the game?
Answer: (a) Because it shows their language and culture in a good way

4. Is the Arabic in the game easy to understand?
Answer: (b) Yes, many people still understand it

5. What does the game show about Baghdad and the Arab world?
Answer: (d) That they were important in history

6. What do some fans hope this game will do?
Answer: (c) Make more people want to make games about the Middle East

7. Why are some people upset about Ubisoft?
Answer: (c) Because they heard bad things about the company

8. Why is the game liked by many people?
Answer: (a) Because it shows Arabic language and old Baghdad in a good way
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The heroes in the game speak Arabic, not English. (Answer: True)
2. The game does not show how important Baghdad and the Arab world were in history. (Answer: False)
3. The Arabic spoken in the game is very old, but many people can still understand it. (Answer: True)
4. Some fans hope this game will inspire more games about the Middle East. (Answer: True)
5. The people who made the game, Ubisoft, did not want it to feel real. (Answer: False)
6. Fans of the game are unhappy because it shows their language and culture in a bad way. (Answer: False)
7. There is an old video game called Assassin’s Creed Mirage set in modern Baghdad. (Answer: False)
8. The people who speak in the game are good at Arabic and made sure everything is right. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧