Figure 1
Figure 2Snapshots from video clip "The Sims Teach German" , Available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1LmeBD-r08
From the Youtube, I found a very good video clip "The Sims Teach German" that analyzes the advantages of The Sims in the aspect of teaching a foreign language – German. I haven’t play The Sims yet, however, this video clip provided me a chance to visually experience this game, so that I can understand the benefits of this game for language development more vividly and more deeply.
This video clip compares and contrasts the ways to teach German by using The Sim2 and using traditional classroom textbooks. I listed some points that are most interesting to me:
Semiotic system
· The Sim 2: Animations enhance language acquisition and retention
· Traditional classroom textbooks: Text & Still images ( can not illustrate some abstract words or concepts)
Language
· The Sim 2: Multiple languages in the setting, and can be easily changed or even added
· Traditional classroom textbooks: Monolingual or bilingual at most
Activity
· The Sim 2: A variety of integrated learning objectives could be achieved simultaneously within one activity during the game, such as “learning colors, body parts, professions, and relationships”.
· Traditional classroom textbooks: Generally, one activity has one main learning purpose (refer to the example shown in Figure 1 above)
Learner engagement
· The Sim 2: Learners acquire language by creating their own virtual worlds. For example, they learn “where the furniture should go” by dragging the furniture here and there in their own world.
· Traditional classroom textbooks: One example is shown in Figure 2 above, they learn “where the furniture should go” by filling words in the blanks.
Simulation
· The Sim 2: Simulation environment allows learners to virtually experience real-world without the risk of injury, the cost of failure, time, etc. Moreover, learners could immerse in some environment that they will never have the chance to go in their real life, such as “colonial Williamsburg of 1775”.
· Traditional classroom textbooks: Only some still images, so …
This video clip is a good visual resource to understand the popular video game, The Sims. Although this game is primarily designed for entertainment, just as many other video games, it is really a good tool to enhance language learning in an authentic and fun way. Therefore, I think The Sim is very valuable in providing educational game designers with directions and good suggestions to develop some particular language-learning video games, promoting innovations in ESL/EFL or other foreign language learning field. I am very interested in exploring more on the analysis of The Sim.
From the Youtube, I found a very good video clip "The Sims Teach German" that analyzes the advantages of The Sims in the aspect of teaching a foreign language – German. I haven’t play The Sims yet, however, this video clip provided me a chance to visually experience this game, so that I can understand the benefits of this game for language development more vividly and more deeply.
This video clip compares and contrasts the ways to teach German by using The Sim2 and using traditional classroom textbooks. I listed some points that are most interesting to me:
Semiotic system
· The Sim 2: Animations enhance language acquisition and retention
· Traditional classroom textbooks: Text & Still images ( can not illustrate some abstract words or concepts)
Language
· The Sim 2: Multiple languages in the setting, and can be easily changed or even added
· Traditional classroom textbooks: Monolingual or bilingual at most
Activity
· The Sim 2: A variety of integrated learning objectives could be achieved simultaneously within one activity during the game, such as “learning colors, body parts, professions, and relationships”.
· Traditional classroom textbooks: Generally, one activity has one main learning purpose (refer to the example shown in Figure 1 above)
Learner engagement
· The Sim 2: Learners acquire language by creating their own virtual worlds. For example, they learn “where the furniture should go” by dragging the furniture here and there in their own world.
· Traditional classroom textbooks: One example is shown in Figure 2 above, they learn “where the furniture should go” by filling words in the blanks.
Simulation
· The Sim 2: Simulation environment allows learners to virtually experience real-world without the risk of injury, the cost of failure, time, etc. Moreover, learners could immerse in some environment that they will never have the chance to go in their real life, such as “colonial Williamsburg of 1775”.
· Traditional classroom textbooks: Only some still images, so …
This video clip is a good visual resource to understand the popular video game, The Sims. Although this game is primarily designed for entertainment, just as many other video games, it is really a good tool to enhance language learning in an authentic and fun way. Therefore, I think The Sim is very valuable in providing educational game designers with directions and good suggestions to develop some particular language-learning video games, promoting innovations in ESL/EFL or other foreign language learning field. I am very interested in exploring more on the analysis of The Sim.
3 comments:
Hey Jiao!
This video is also in "Language learning with New media and Video Games”, which Web I mentioned last week. You said you checked that Web, I remebered. But that Web is not easy to read with too many in-text links and I guess you missed the video. I enjoyed watching the video, which is a good introduction of language learning through gaming. The Sims has versions in different langauges.
This is the Sims 2's official site in Chinese (模拟人生官方网站）
http://www.ccnec.com/z/sims/
The players write a lot of interesting stories in Chinese there.
Hi Zhuo,
I think I missed the video in the web of "Language learning with New media and Video Games”, thanks for reminding me.
And thanks for telling me the website of the Sim 2, I will go to check the interesting stories in Chinese you mentioned :)
Jiao
Hi Jiao,
I think there is a lot of value in a game designed for entertainment but then develops an educational purpose like the Sims Teaching German. (What a neat learning tool!)
"The analytical rigor, ingenuity, and passion reserved for the most popular video games are seldom invoked by educational computer games" according to Martinez (2006).
I believe that was Ben's point in his latest posting as well. I think the closer we can get to this with simulations like the Sims, the better.
Thanks for sharing this use of Sims.
:) Garnette
Reference:
Martinez, S. (2006) Educational Games: How Attitudes and Markets Influence Design. Paper presented at the Australian Computers in Education Conference. Retrieved on April 8, 2008, from http://www.genyes.org/programs/supplemental/edgames
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