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General discussionGames as a learning tool for English(24 posts)(24 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted August 28, 2023
Hi,

Maybe a bit original question but I am wondering if anyone would have an idea of what games would
work if one were to learn students age 13-15 English by using games found on GOG?

All the best

Terje
Posted August 28, 2023
Any narrative driven adventure games, such as point and click games. But I would recommend the Zork series, as they are text adventures, and quite fun
Posted August 28, 2023
All of the following games are text-heavy, so they should be ideal for your purpose.
Roadwarden
Six Ages Ride Like the Wind
Suzerain
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
Spiderweb

In addition, I would suggest introducing your students to SRS software like Anki or
Mnemosyne

Using them will allow your students to create flashcards containing vocabulary, definitions for words in your native language and, at a later stage, in EN->EN (translations should be avoided in favor of simple explanations in the target language instead), sentences, grammar, pictures, sounds, and video clips.

You can assign the creation of the cards as a solitary or group activity. It will help them reinforce what they have learned during the lessons. Reviewing their decks to commit the information to their long-term memories will soon become second nature to your students, and they can use the software for other subjects as well.
Post edited August 28, 2023 by Mori_Yuki
Posted August 28, 2023
This one

https://www.gog.com/en/game/overboard :)

But if you ask seriously then it depends on if you need to learn English from a scratch or you are about to enhance your level. Unfortunately there are probably no games on GOG that could help you learn English from the beginner level.
Posted August 28, 2023
If some of your students are prodigies I'd recommend them Disco Elysium, perhaps as extracurricular reading. It may force you not to put away your English Dictionary for a long time.
Posted August 28, 2023
Point-and-click adventure games are good because their interface names every single item you can interact with, plus there is usually a lot of dialogue (make sure the game has subtitles enabled).
Posted August 28, 2023
It really depends on what language you're coming from and how good the text translation is in that tongue. Some games are terrible for Japanese to English, but great for German to English. I don't speciifcally know which ones would be best for your language.
Posted August 28, 2023
The Soul Reaver series, for that dark macabre fatalism that goes well with learning a new language :P.
Posted August 28, 2023
I would not recommend the Secret of Monkey Island. It's full of verbal puns, slang, and a lot of jokes that just won't translate.

A localizers nightmare, really. (Monkey Wrench, Natch.)

Also, I wouldn't recommend AD 2044, but that's a knock on the quality. (Though, the localization is hot junk.

I would recommenced The Avernum series, as it was written for English first, and is a fairly hefty adventure with big dialogue trees. There's big free demos as well!

I wouldn't recommend the Secret of Evermore as it was also written English first, but you'd have to suffer though a pretty awful RPG system to see most of the content.

...You know, if you're willing to look though the 16 bit eras, a lot of Gamefaqs readers did painstakingly type up the entire scripts of many games; even if they are based on incomplete, bad, or otherwise rushed localizations.
Post edited August 28, 2023 by Darvond
Posted August 28, 2023
It can be helpful to give them a game that they're already familiar with in their own language, but also exists in English. The Japanese, DS release of Ace Attorney 1 was given a (poorly-edited) English translation for exactly this reason!
Post edited August 28, 2023 by Blackdrazon
Posted August 28, 2023
avatar
terjepe: what games would work if one were to learn students age 13-15 English by using games
(Old) adventure games with (lots of) onscreen text.

At least that's how I learned a lot more English than in the English lessons at school.
By playing (text) adventures (with or without graphics).

The dictionary was always on the desk, to look up unknown words and expressions.
Learning while playing some entertaining game(s) is easier and funnier than simply sitting through school lessons.
And you basically learn without even noticing it.

Edit: I probably should add: those old adventures also required you to type in your commands, etc, manually.
Naturally, that added to the learning success.
So, I wouldn't restrict myself to point-and-click adventures, as some others here seem to propose.
Post edited August 28, 2023 by BreOl72
Posted September 10, 2023
avatar
Mori_Yuki: All of the following games are text-heavy, so they should be ideal for your purpose.
Roadwarden
Six Ages Ride Like the Wind
Suzerain
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
Spiderweb

In addition, I would suggest introducing your students to SRS software like Anki or
Mnemosyne

Using them will allow your students to create flashcards containing vocabulary, definitions for words in your native language and, at a later stage, in EN->EN (translations should be avoided in favor of simple explanations in the target language instead), sentences, grammar, pictures, sounds, and video clips.

You can assign the creation of the cards as a solitary or group activity. It will help them reinforce what they have learned during the lessons. Reviewing their decks to commit the information to their long-term memories will soon become second nature to your students, and they can use the software for other subjects as well.
Thank you so very much for the great insight:-)
avatar
amok: Any narrative driven adventure games, such as point and click games. But I would recommend the Zork series, as they are text adventures, and quite fun
Thank you so very much for the great insight:-)
avatar
Darvond: I would not recommend the Secret of Monkey Island. It's full of verbal puns, slang, and a lot of jokes that just won't translate.

A localizers nightmare, really. (Monkey Wrench, Natch.)

Also, I wouldn't recommend AD 2044, but that's a knock on the quality. (Though, the localization is hot junk.

I would recommenced The Avernum series, as it was written for English first, and is a fairly hefty adventure with big dialogue trees. There's big free demos as well!

I wouldn't recommend the Secret of Evermore as it was also written English first, but you'd have to suffer though a pretty awful RPG system to see most of the content.

...You know, if you're willing to look though the 16 bit eras, a lot of Gamefaqs readers did painstakingly type up the entire scripts of many games; even if they are based on incomplete, bad, or otherwise rushed localizations.
Thank you so very much for the great insight:-)
Post edited September 10, 2023 by terjepe
Posted September 10, 2023
avatar
Darvond: I would not recommend the Secret of Monkey Island. It's full of verbal puns, slang, and a lot of jokes that just won't translate.
A localizers nightmare, really. (Monkey Wrench, Natch.)
Oh, yes. The good old monkey wrench.
Or the toad's tool / toadstool pun in Kyrandia, doh!
Back then, these stupid jokes kept a whole industry of writers and publishers of hint books in business.
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terjepe: Maybe a bit original question but I am wondering if anyone would have an idea of what games would
work if one were to learn students age 13-15 English by using games found on GOG?
How about another classic point-and-click adventure from LucasArts then?
Such as Indiana Jones and The Fate of Atlantis?
It's a fun and relaxed game, not too hard, a pretty streamlined experience. Oh, and not that expensive either.
You can follow the story and dialogs at your own pace.
Posted September 11, 2023
avatar
terjepe: Hi,

Maybe a bit original question but I am wondering if anyone would have an idea of what games would
work if one were to learn students age 13-15 English by using games found on GOG?

All the best

Terje
Written, spoken, both?

English, or American English?

Lots of variables there.
Posted September 11, 2023
avatar
terjepe: Hi,

Maybe a bit original question but I am wondering if anyone would have an idea of what games would
work if one were to learn students age 13-15 English by using games found on GOG?

All the best

Terje
Free survival game- Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead.

Has some language support for Norwegian(your handle says Norway). This should be useful because you can play the game in english and learn basic words for items used in real life(knife, screwdriver, ATM) while turning on added language packs to look at what words are missed. Not good for conversation, it helps learn everyday words, in a simple picture/item way.

Perhaps UnReal World also. A free game I think is made in your part of the planet.
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Community
General discussionGames as a learning tool for English(24 posts)(24 posts)
(24 posts)