Tech Tip 2/2

Tip #11 | Part 2/2 – Google Arts & Culture – INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES 

Here is the second post about this platform. The first one may be found here.

On Google Arts & Culture it is also possible to find a variety of interactive experiences that go beyond traditional museum exploration, offering students opportunities to engage with art in a more dynamic and participatory way. These tools include games, storytelling activities and creative experiments that can be adapted for use in the English language classroom, helping learners connect visual culture with language practice in meaningful contexts.

Here are three more examples of activities, one adapted from Floris (2025) and two designed by Saber Conectado team:

ACTIVITY 4: THE FOREVER LABYRINTH

Floris (2025) suggests the use of interactive games such as ‘The Forever Labyrinth’ as a way to promote group discussions in class and then offers a fun way to develop students’ speaking skills, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities. 

In this activity, students are meant to work in small groups. They are assigned specific missions within the game, exploring artworks and solving puzzles. As they work together to complete their tasks, students are encouraged to communicate in English, promoting the use of the language in a natural and engaging context.

Have a look at the unique journey of artistic discovery and mystery solving in The Forever Labyrinth at:

The collaborative nature of the game requires students to develop teamwork and strategic thinking skills. Each group must plan their actions, share ideas, and negotiate solutions, which fosters meaningful interaction in English. This dynamic environment helps students practice conversational language in a way that is both purposeful and enjoyable.

After the game, students participate in a debriefing session in which they reflect on their experiences, discuss the strategies they used, and review the vocabulary and expressions encountered during the activity. This moment of reflection reinforces learning and allows students to consolidate their knowledge. Therefore, by combining gameplay with language practice, The Forever Labyrinth provides an effective and engaging approach to developing both linguistic and cognitive skills.

ACTIVITY 5: ART ZOOM

‘Art Zoom’ is a video series available on Google Arts & Culture. Currently, the series encompasses two seasons, comprising a total of twelve episodes. In each episode, one of the biggest names in the music industry explores and narrates some of the world’s most famous works of art, offering a detailed zoom on each piece, allowing users to see details that may be missed during in-person visits to museums.

Art Zoom is a feature of Google Arts & Culture that can be effectively integrated into the classroom as a tool for English language learning. Since each episode is narrated by musicians, students are exposed to authentic spoken English, including different accents and pronunciation, allowing learners to develop their listening skills.

Teachers can design activities based on the episodes, such as comprehension questions, vocabulary exercises, and discussions about the works of art presented. For example, students may be asked to identify key information, summarize the content, or express their opinions about the pieces explored in each episode. These tasks encourage both language practice and critical thinking.

The series also provides a rich visual content that can help students learn English. The detailed images help students associate words with visual elements, making it easier to understand and remember new vocabulary. As a result, students can learn new words while also learning about art and culture.

The latest episode of the Art Zoom series is a collaboration with Netflix, starring actress Joey King discussing The Kiss by Gustav Klimt. You can watch it below:

ACTIVITY 6: BLOB OPERA

“Blob Opera” is a machine learning experiment developed by interactive designer and programmer David Li in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture. The tool features four characters, each one representing a different vocal range: bass, tenor, mezzo-soprano, and soprano. By moving the characters up and down, users can change the pitch of the sound, and by moving them forward and backward, they can get different vowel sounds. An artificial intelligence harmonizes the voices in real time, allowing users to create their own music.

Blob Opera can be integrated into the classroom as a different, creative and fun resource for English language learning. The tool offers an interactive environment in which students are able to explore different sounds and then create their own music while engaging in meaningful communication in English.

Teachers can guide students to share and discuss their experiences. For example, learners may be asked to describe their composition using adjectives such as “happy” or “sad”, or to compare different compositions using structures like “this sound is higher than that one” or “that sound is less intense”. These kinds of activities are useful to expand students’ vocabulary and encourage them to use comparatives. 

The tool is also an interesting way to support students’ development of listening awareness, as they are exposed to variations in pitch, tone, and harmony. This can help learners become more sensitive to pronunciation features in English, such as stress and intonation patterns, even though the content is musical and not verbal. Additionally, the visual and interactive nature of the characters helps maintain student engagement and lowers anxiety often associated with speaking activities.

Learn how to create your own song using Blob Opera at:

REFERENCE

FLORIS, Flora D.; Enhancing English Language Learning with Google Arts & Culture. Humanising Language Teaching Magazine, v. 27, n. 1, Feb. 2025. Accessed: 28 Mar. 2026.

Embark on an art-filled adventure in The Forever Labyrinth! | Google Arts & Culture. [S. I. : s. n.], 2024. 1 video (1 minute). Published by the Google Arts & Culture channel. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.

JOEY KING in ART ZOOM 🔍 and the POWER of a KISS | Google Arts & Culture. [S. I. : s. n.], 2021. 1 video (5 minutes). Published by the Google Arts & Culture channel. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.

CREATE a SONG with Blob Opera | Google Arts & Culture. [S. I. : s. n.], 2020. 1 video (1 minute). Published by the Google Arts & Culture channel. Accessed 13 May. 2026.