Video Game for Learning English

[A.Russell]

I've been flat out with the pachinko project lately:



http://www.clubvarie.com/pictures/AT...h600nologo.jpg


Pachinko a Go Go!

However I have a couple of concepts the 2d artist made of the player characters that I can show you. The 3d artist will probably kick in and begin modeling them by the end of the month. Hope you like them:

http://www.clubvarie.com/pictures/BatGuy1_sm.jpg
http://www.clubvarie.com/pictures/BatGuy2_sm.jpg
http://www.clubvarie.com/pictures/Catgirl3_sm.jpg


More to come. Please be patient, and thanks to all the people who have voted in the survey. Keep them coming!

EDIT>>> the images were showing when I created the post, but not after submitting -webmaster?

[charlieten]

I have never played video games for language learning, but i can imagine that it's good.

[Tdol]

EDIT>>> the images were showing when I created the post, but not after submitting -webmaster?

I can see them fine. Is Catgirl's ring part of her costume or piercing?

[A.Russell]

Maybe it's my settings, but I have to click on links before I can see the pictures.

The ring is part of the costume . We're going with something more like the other illustration of her anyway.

Hi Charlieten! There are currently games for language learning, but they are mostly dead pan boring or games you could play just as well with a pen and paper. I haven't found anything really addictive that would make students want to practice practice their English in order to advance in the game.

[Tdol]

I had to click as well- I thought they were straight links. I have never tried to display an image except through a link. Sorry.

[sfumato]

Hello Mr. Russell,

Ill be completing my ESL certificate this friday, Ive been mulling the video game idea for teaching english for about 2 years now. Im a hardcore gamer, been playing since 89 online.

Ive over 300 PC titles on my shelf, and Ive been boring my freinds and familly for 2 years now telling them how I think an RPG would be a fantastic way to teach English and social interaction to "anyone".

Yesturday I found this book,

What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy
by James Paul Gee

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...445088-9125524

I devoured it, it blew me away because I felt like I was reading my own thoughts. My girlfreind laughed when I showed her that one of the games was Deus Ex because thats the one Im currently trying to create a Lesson Plan for.

The problem is I only have 20 mins with a group of about 10 Chinese students.

They are all Graduate level at UVA.

Im not sure if Im banging my head against a wall trying to make this work but I think it will blow the professors away when they see what an RPG is all about and how INTERESTED the students are, and then theres retention.

I know 14 year old kids who dont speak any language who have gotten Japanese imports of games and translated the manuals, and games , then posted them on the Internets just because they were MOTIVATED to.

Anyone who doesnt think games are going to be the next major leap in learning have never been to a game forum. People will spend hours asking , teaching others and learning about a game if its one they have passion for.

If you go to GAMEFAQS.COM and look at the walkthroughs for games those were written by GAMERS. For Free.

Keep rocking , and if you have any tips for me Id aprreciate it.

Sorry for the poor post but Im on a cell phone and in a hurry. Catch you later.

Sfumato

[sfumato]

I don't think the suggestions are exactly pouring in for you. Mind you a lot of kids here do not have access to any video games and probably never will. Some might not even have a clue what you are talking about. As I said before, without trying to sound discouraging, I really don't feel the market is there for this stuff but let's hope I am wrong.

LOL, video games are coming on so strong and so fast you'll probably wake up next spring and be asking yourself where all the books have gone.

WORLD OF WARCRAFT® REACHES 1.5 MILLION
PAYING CUSTOMERS IN CHINA

Worldwide customer base for Blizzard Entertainment®’s
Popular MMORPG now more than 3.5 million players
France, Paris – 20 July, 2005 - Blizzard Entertainment®, Inc. today announced that World of Warcraft®, its subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), has surpassed 1.5 million paying customers in China – just a month following the game’s commercial launch on June 7, 2005. The critically acclaimed World of Warcraft has now achieved another significant milestone as the largest MMORPG in the world, with more than 3.5 million global customers.



OK, that’s 1.5 million Chinese in 1 month who were willing to pay 100 bucks or so for the game and then 25 bucks a month to play it.

Starcraft is the NATIONAL pastime in Korea, the professional players are sports heroes on a scale comparable to Movie Stars.

For example, one highly successful player, [Red]Nada, signed a 3 year, $500,000 contract in 2004. Another example is SlayerS_`BoxeR who can, if all goes well, make $780,000 in the next 3 years, making him the highest paid Starcraft player ever.

That’s right, Gamers are making 39 times what ESL teachers are.


I recommend you embrace it and learn all can about them. If you want some tips on a good game to try we can talk.

East Asia has embraced the internet , I think it would be helpful to anyone going there to have a thorough understanding of it.

BEIJING (Reuters) - The number of Web users in China, the world's second largest Internet market, grew by 9 million people in the first half of this year to hit 103 million, the China Daily said on Friday. The growth represented an increase of 18.4 percent over the same period last year in a market that still has vast potential for further growth, the report said, citing a survey released by the "quasi-governmental" China Internet Network Information Center on Thursday."


Bill Gates is donating computers to Africa, and I heard that someone was designing a really inexpensive computer just for poorer communities.

[sfumato]

Im sorry Marylin, but when people are willing to ride a bike just to get the technology its "game over". No pun intended.

that pics from 2003

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/interne...ebybicycle.ap/

Where don’t kids have access to video games these days?
Where? OK, here it is:


Algeria, Angola, Bolivia, Chad, Chile, Nepal, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic,Ecuador, El Salvador,Ethiopia, Honduras India, Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea (North), Laos, Namibia,, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Paraguay, Peru, Rwanda, Tibet, Nepal, Ceylon, Azerbaijan and many others. I think they call them third world countries.


So cynical for one so young ;).

"Old age is not a disease, Mr Russell, and it's not a place for sissies, either". I can't remember you asking only for young teachers to come forward...hmmm

[A.Russell]

Thanks for your comments and links Sfumato. It's good to meet a fellow teacher with as much enthusiasm for the potential of games as learning tools. Can I put you down as a beta tester? Though it is still a way off first playable.

That’s right, Gamers are making 39 times what ESL teachers are.

Well, if they don't get any language skills out of it, at least they'll be well trained for a professional video game plating job

I've read some of Paul Gee's work, but not that book. I've got it on order from Amazon. Thanks for that.

[Marylin]

[QUOTE=sfumato]LOL, video games are coming on so strong and so fast you'll probably wake up next spring and be asking yourself where all the books have gone.

including grammar books? .... don't think so.

That’s right, Gamers are making 39 times what ESL teachers are.

Well, I wish you and Mr. Russell to join the ranks of all those highly paid entrepreneurs! I am sure you will make it just fine judging by the amount of fervent criticism against my opinion.

I recommend you embrace it and learn all can about them. If you want some tips on a good game to try we can talk.

No, thanks, sfumato.

Any more lynching from anyone else?