Games Review

Games Review

Sean Cambage and Janpha Thadphoothon  

Using games to teach English is not new. For us, we would like students to have fun and learn English well at the same time. Below were some of the things that we had done.

We asked five international ESL students to trial two online games that teach about the environment. Then, we interviewed them to obtain their feedback. Here is a summary.

Game 1 “Eco Quest” from GreenPeace: http://activism.greenpeace.org/eco_quest/index.html. Game was easy to use. It wasn’t too difficult for non-native speakers of pre-intermediate level and up and was even manageable for beginner learners with some guidance. Some non-native speakers who trialed the game found it to be easy for children but a waste of time for adults. You need a computer with internet access and Windows 2000 or higher. It does practice reading skills, but the reading is very peripheral and not essential to playing the game. Has some vocabulary that is explained. The game was fun, but the challenge was a physical one, not mental. It contained very little violence and, thus, would be suitable for all ages. It was fun to play but a little repetitive.

Game 2 “Vermi the Worm” from the California state government: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/kidstuff. Was very guided and structured and didn’t allow for a player to play at their own speed. The instructions were very clear and easy to understand. This game would be suitable for people of all ages but is specifically aimed at young teenagers. Most trial players found it easy to use. Would be suitable for native and non-native speakers, but some teacher/peer guidance would ensure players get the most out of this game. Players have to concentrate on listening and reading skills together. To play this, you need Macromedia Flash 5 as well as internet access, and you will be required to download before you start. As it was structured, it contained a lot of listening that students may find boring after a few minutes although the graphics and sound effects were very good. This game is targeted at children or teenagers and had a cartoon quality about it which helped the students to learn about the functions and life of a worm.

Note:

Sean Cambage was an ELICOS teacher at The School of Languages, University of Canberra, Australia

Janpha Thadphoothon was an Ed.D. candidate  University of Canberra, Australia