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Learning a Foreign Language with The Sims
JavaTHut writes "The Journal Language Learning and Technology has a new article describing how The Sims can be modified to teach a foreign language. With this and other efforts at U.S.C. and M.I.T., could simulated immersion within video games become an effective way of acquiring a foreign language? Also of interest in the article are suggestions for using spatialized translation layers in foreign language songs and a Firefox extension for learning foreign vocabulary words."
I unknowingly prepared myself to learn English by watching American cartoons.
When they started teaching us English as a second language in primary school, I was way ahead of every other kid, and the English teacher got me to help out the other kids.
This probably wouldn't work too well with languages with different character sets where you couldn't even begin to guess how to pronounce the words, but English -> Spanish worked quite well.
But they would have to change the content of the Sims to make it useful. There's only so much I can do in a foreign country when all I can say is "take out the garbage", "Go to work", and "Eat some food". The game play would have to be changed to allow me to actually do something aside from mundane chores over, and over and over again.
In theory, I think this could work. Remember the Speak and Spell from back in the 80's? I had one, and loved playing with it and making it say bad words (when my mom wasn't watching) while I was doing the exercises that came with the thing. Foreign language video games seems a logical progression from the days of old.
In small European countries which don't benefit from having games translated into the local language, the children play them in English, and as a result, pick up quite a bit of written language. I've seen this in the Czech Republic, and found it amazing that a ten year old could understand so much. That said, it does little for spoken language.
Never pet a burning dog.
IMHO, currently people are relying on computer technology for their learnings and entertainment too much. As for learning a foreign language, isn't going to that country and talking to the 3-dimentional people the best way to learn? I know some people would maintain that not everyone has the opportunity to travel, but my point is that people shouldn't automatically resort to computers when it comes to learning and entertainment. There are other better options.
It has nothing to do with lazy. TV and video games happen to be a very effective means of educating. My nephew knows a lot more Spanish than I do because of Dora the Explorer. I am not suggesting that TV and games replace school but if used properly it can be a great enhancement to education.
If a particular sound does not exist in an adult's native language, then that person probably can't even recognize the sound let alone reproduce it correctly. This is why speakers of Chinese languages have such a dreadful time with English. I remember one engineer who sounded illiterate. I wondered why we hired him until I saw his written work. The guy was obviously a genius and had zero problem with written English (just don't try to talk to him.)
Apparently, the best native language to have is Russian because it has most of the sounds of most of the other languages.
I suspect that teaching some languages might be better handled using some of the techniques used to teach the deaf to talk. If anyone knows of work being done to deal with learning the sounds of a language, I'm all ears.
I'm trying to learn Japanese, and I'm doing something similar to what this guy describes in the second half of the article. After learning the kana (Japan's phonetic "alphabets"), I switched my iPod into Japanese.
:) Unfortunately it doesn't give me much more than phonetic reading practice, since most of the words used on the iPod are actually on loan from English. Example: "purei-risuto" (Japanese fudges out the U's, making it sort of "pray-rist"). HMM, I wonder what that could possibly be....
Of course I can get around most menus without reading at all, since I knew where everything was by heart. However if I go into Browse or Settings, I have to translate.
Setting my computer's main language to Japanese could be next... but I think that will be a way bigger challenge.
Indicentally, I am also using the Pimsleur course this guy recommends. I'm on level 1 lesson 21, and so far it has been great. My friends' eyes bug out when I start speaking Japanese to them. Now if only I had some Japanese friends to practice on...:P
Justin
"Why would God give us a waist if we wasn't supposed to rest our pants on it?" - Rev. Roy McDaniels
While this "concept" might be new to alot of Americans, alot of Europeans, Asians and whoever have used this to aqcuire English and maybe another language.
For instance, every child in Belgium is accostumed to read subtitles with some cartoons. (lately it seems they started dubbing cartoons for the younger children though. I remember being 8 watching He-man or Ji-Joe with subs.) Cause we don't "dub" (I personally find it really annoying in German dubbed movies, it just doesn't feel right.) And think about all the "imported" series, games, movies, and what not. They are all subtitled or even aren't (games and such). So teens overhere have a very good understanding about English (unless they are just into RAP and R&B music :P) cause they pick it up while being entertained.
My German knowledge mostly came from watching German childrens programs, and later German books or even comics as well.
I think it's super to be educated while playing, without ruining the fun of the game; Pick something up while you're entertaining yourself, it's not like you were going to pick up a book and study a language instead. But it seems supercool to go into a foreign country, and notice you actually understand some things and eventually will be able to communicate in a language not your own, as a result of playing a game you like which was going to be "dead time" anyhow.
They could expand this further, beyond just "language".
I think we can keep recursing like this until someone returns 1
I told a colleague at work that I was planning on learning French. He ERUPTED at me and told me how useless anything French was...
While the number of people speaking French as a primary language aren't really all that huge, I understand that the number of people speaking French as a second language is second only to those speaking English as a second language. If this is true (I've had it quoted at me a few times, but I've never found a cite), I suspect it's a lingering effect from the days when French was the language for the royal and the intellectual elite in Europe. From my experience travelling through Russia, almost everyone I met either spoke English or French, so I was able to get by without an extensive Russian vocabulary.
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