The Gamers Complete Walkthrough to Learning Languages with Video Games

The Gamers Complete Walkthrough to Learning Languages with Video Games How to Learn Any Language by Playing Video Games Video games provide constant electronic stimulation  on a level that mankind has never seen before.Immersing yourself in an action-packed, digital world has been shown  to boost brain power  and  memory strength, increase connectivity between regions of your brain and improve mental dexterity, hand-eye coordination and problem solving power.They can even be highly cathartic and therapeutic.  Had a difficult day at work?  Stressed out after trying to master a complex  grammatical structure in a foreign language? Go blow up some bad guys!Meanwhile, some people will have you believe that video games make you dumb, lazy, desensitized or, at worst, a serial killer.We can probably chalk that up to people being afraid of change.Video games are the most modern way to explore, learn, connect, converse and unwind.Even my mom is rocking the virtual battlefield by leading a Call of Duty clan. (Mom, if youre reading, youre the coolest.)So, its only natural that video games are starting to gain a reputation for being powerful learning tools, and of course, this can be applied to language learning.You no longer have to limit yourself to interactive tools made specifically for language learners, eitherâ€"you can play anything from Call of Duty: Ghosts to Left 4 Dead 2 and The Sims 4, as well show you later on.First, lets explore the  why  and  how of  learning languages with video games. Then well jump into the popular game titles available in foreign languages! Why Learning by Playing Is Super EffectivePositive associations.  Lets play a little word association game.  When I say language learning, what pops into your brain? If your answer is textbooks, flashcards, vocabulary lists, quizzes, exams or all-nighters, then, for the love of God, shake things up. Videos games are for you.  If your study methods feel stale (or if you simply cant motivate yourself to get started), then you need to create more positive associations with language learning in your brain.In-context lear ning.  Youll learn vocabulary and grammar while youre embroiled in the action. Youll be immersed in your virtual world, interacting with virtual people, traveling to virtual places and earning virtual money. Listening, reading and understanding the language of the virtual world (read: your target language, after you get around to switching your games language settings) will be rewarded with points, digital bucks or progress in your games storyline. This is how immersion works when youre studying abroad: You learn by doing, you get immediate feedback and  you need to keep guessing, trying and thinking creatively if you dont quite understand something.Repetition.  Even in games with complex stories or ones that give you tons of freedom to choose your fate, youll still hear the same words over and over as you play. Thats because every game has some core themes, key characters, big events and repeated actions that will keep popping up as you go. This will help to strongly solidify a goo d chunk of vocabulary. The more familiar with the game you are, the more familiar youll become with the language used.Youll never put off study time.  When study time is game time, will you really dread it or procrastinate it?Learn or die! If you dont follow whats happening, youll die. Plain and simple. Do you really want to lose another life?You can make real-world friends.  Many games offer you the ability to connect with people online while youre playing. Others will just give you a common interest to talk about with friends or Internet strangers on forums and websites.Games are easily accessible.  Even if you dont have an Xbox at home, many games are easily accessible through Steam and app stores.Let the kids have some fun! Kids adore games, obviously, so this is a great way to go if youre raising bilingual kids or if youre learning together with your whole family.How to Learn Any Language by Playing Video GamesLevel 1: Game-ify Study TimeStart with games made for children.If yo ure skeptical about playing childrens games, know that youre in good company. I was too. But then I tapped into my inner 90s kid and remembered all the amazing click-like-a-madman flash games I was addicted to on the Nickelodeon website and elsewhere. I remembered the  immense pleasure of playing Spanish Nickelodeon games with my younger brother-in-law and cousins-in-law.Thats where the idea began. Then, after clicking around a little bit, I become completely convinced. For example, Id readily dare any Spanish learner to play the Ninja Turtles Las Tortugas en la pizzeria  (The Turtles in the pizzeria) game without smilingâ€"and without picking up at least one new vocabulary word.Youre bound to learn something from these options because games for early childhood education, and even a bit beyond, are always designed to teach language fundamentals on some level.They dont have to be targeting vocabulary and grammar specificallyâ€"given the age group theyre appealing to (think ages 3-10) , any game developers worth their salt will make sure the gameplay is friendly to young players who are still absorbing the basics of their native language. For example, Japanese childrens games rely more heavily on hiragana and omit more advanced kanji, which is great for learners who are still trying to get into the flow of reading.Check out the websites  below for some great resources in different languages:PBS Kids: Spanish GamesJuegos Nickelodeon  (Spanish Nickelodeon Games)Spiele Nick (German Nickelodeon Games)Nick Jr. FranceNick Japan GamesThe games found on these sites are all of the same varietyâ€"kids games based on favorite cartoon  characters and episodes. Having played a couple to test them out, Id say that many (or perhaps most) are designed to include some more subtly mature elements to entertain parents and older siblings who have to play along with the little ones.Play games made for adult learners.This is the next step up. We havent yet arrived at games for adult n ative speakers, but weve found a comfortable middle ground to get you started.The games here can take the place of your dull study materials that are overdue for retirement.People love to learn in fun ways. And people love to learn using technology. Those are two truths of the modern age. So, what better way to combine the two than gamifying language learning? They might be fun, but theyre made to get serious results. Here are the best of the best games out there for learning a language: Influent  â€"  This fantasy adventure game puts your new language in context. You wander around the virtual world in a free-play mode, clicking on whatever piques your interest to learn new vocabulary words. It offers  tons  of interactive elements to play with, and you can challenge yourself by trying to unlock a few secret play modes.FluentU  â€"  FluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language learning lesso ns.FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news, inspiring talks and more.With FluentU, you hear languages in real-world contextsâ€"the way that native speakers actually use them. Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of FluentU videos on offer:FluentU really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, effective and efficient learning. It’s already hand-picked the best videos for you and organized them by level and topic. All you have to do is choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started!Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.You can use FluentU’s unique adaptive quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions and exercises. Just swipe left or right to see more examples of the word youre studying.The program even keeps track of what you’re learning and tells you exactly when it’s time for review, giving you a 100% personalized experience.Start using FluentU on the website  with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the  iTunes store  or  Google Play store.Duolingo  â€" This little app is ideal if youre just starting out. It will help you get acquainted with all the vocabulary youll need while advancing your studies. The whole system is totally gamified, offering you special points (Lingots) for achieving high scores and making you eager to unlock new levels and bonus rounds. You can also connect with your friends, which is a great way to stay competitive and accountable.LyricsTraining  â€" Love music videos? This site turns them into a fill-in-the-blank game! As you watch the videos, youre challenged to fill in the missing vocabulary along the way. If you cant come up with t he word, the video pauses and waits for you to figure it out. Try to keep up with the rhythm!Slime Forest Adventure RPG  â€"  This role playing adventure game is a great option for Japanese learners.My Chinese Coach â€" This Nintendo DS game is also available in Japanese, French, Spanish and English. The Spanish and French  versions are currently available on iOS, while the others are still in development. A couple versions can be found for Wii U. The English version works for learners and natives who want to expand their vocabulary. If youve got a DS, you really cant beat the portability of this option!Level 2: Remember, Theres an App for ThatThe game apps well discuss here are ones that native speakers of the language twiddle with on their phones instead of spending time with their loved ones, not apps designed for learners. You already know what that means: Youll be thrown in the deep end.App games are great because anyone with a smartphone can download  them instantly. Sometimes youve got to pay a little, or you have to pay to unlock certain game features, but the ease of access and portability arguably make up for that.I will admit that its hard to track high quality ones down if youre not actively living (and paying for a phone plan) in a country that speaks your target language. If youre having trouble finding ones that work for learning and are actually fun, be sure to search your app store for any app that says the name of your target language  in the target language.  For example,  español or  ???.Some apps seem to be in another language, but then download to your phone in English (or whatever  language is  used in  your current location) instead. Frustrating! Just keep digging, and something is likely to turn up. Here are a few options for American learners (cant guarantee youll find them elsewhere):Sopa de Letras: Español  â€" A classic, granny-style alphabet soup game where you search for words. Searching in another language is great for exercis ing your brains recognition of that language. To find similar games in any language, try searching for alphabet soup or word search. Doing this quickly in Japanese immediately brings up options, like this Japanese word search app. Give it a try in whatever language youre learning!Jeu de Mots en Français  â€" A fun French problem solving game thats something like a crossword puzzle.Maratón Clásico  â€" A great trivia game app from Mexico thats great to play with 2-4 friends on the same phone.Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? â€" Oh yeah, we all want to be millionaires. Thats why this TV franchiseâ€"and all its related games and merchandiseâ€"have taken over the world. Simply search for the equivalent of the shows title in your target language. Thats how I uncovered  this Spanish version  and this French one.Quizduell  â€" This is a very popular trivia app straight from Germany.Level 3: Steamroll ThroughDo you have an Xbox, PlayStation or Wii? Any game is great in a foreign language, but they can be hard to come by. Usually, youll need to have bought your console and/or games in a  region that speaks your target language. Most games arent automatically available in multiple languages.The exception to this is Steam.Most games here are offered in a variety of languages, so  you can download the one that you want to learn! When you choose a game, be sure to check the Languages section before getting too excited. Here, youll see if the game supports your target language as subtitles only. Most commonly, youll be able to download a version of the game that offers subtitles and complete game interface in your target language. For many games, which dont have characters that speak a made-up language  or which dont involve any dialogue, this will be more than enough to work with.Even if the characters are all speaking English, having some Chinese subtitles and having to navigate maps and menus in Chinese will be a good boost for your learningâ€"especially if thats a game you were dying to play anyway.Here are the games that support full audio in other languages, and a list of their supported languages.Call of Duty: Black Ops IIIShoot. Kill. Dont die. Curse like a rabid teenager when you do die. Accuse everyone else of hacking, modding and cheating. All the necessary ingredients for an infuriatingly fun time. This is perhaps the epitome of the addictive video game model, and one that youve likely played if youre into video games at all.Full Audio: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, RussianSubtitles and Interface:  English,  Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish,  Russian, SpanishMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom PainSnaaaaaake!This installment of Metal Gear Solid allows you to play more freely than ever before. Sure, you can roam around and cross wide distances with vehicles in this game, but dont get to thinking that youre done sneaking around foreverâ€"youre not! Youll still need to get Snake safely from point A to point B without him being caught and killed.Full Audio: English, JapaneseSubtitles and Interface:  English, French,  German,  Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, RussianFallout 4This radioactive, mutant-infested, post-apocalyptic wasteland needs your help. But youll probably be too busy customizing your characters and building your own little settlement to bother with doing good deeds. Or perhaps youll decide to go on an explosive rampage instead. No matter which direction you choose, do it in your target language and explore this vast world while you learn.Full Audio:  English, French, Italian, German, SpanishSubtitles and Interface:  English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese (Traditional)Borderlands 2Explore mystical (and valuable) alien ruins on a faraway planet in another one of those shoot-em-up adventure games, complete with quests and little side missions you can opt to complete.Full Audio:  English, French, Italian, J apanese, German, SpanishSubtitles and Interface:  English, French, Italian, Japanese, German, Spanish, Korean, Chinese (Traditional)The Lord of the Rings OnlineLove The Lord of the Rings? So do I. (My chihuahua  is named Frodo. True story.)Thats why its so fantastic that French and German learners have the opportunity to explore the beautiful regions  of Middle Earth, meeting familiar faces and strangers along the way. Youll learn some very unique language from your adventures in this sprawling online arena, and youll learn how to talk about your favorite trilogy in a foreign language.Full Audio:  English, French, GermanInterface:  English, French, GermanThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntThis might be one of the coolest, darkest and more artfully innovative video games out there these days. Play your way through a spellbound tale of prophecies, legends, elves, dwarves and wild monsters. Your choices really matter in this worldâ€"you cant just passively ride the rails of the predetermined stor yline as you can in most other gamesâ€"so youll need to pay close attention to the language being used so you know what to do at every new juncture.Full Audio: English, French, German, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, RussianSubtitles and Interface:  English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Czech, Hungarian, Korean, Chinese (Traditional)The Sims 3This game has no audio to speak ofâ€"the Sims themselves speak Simlish, obviouslyâ€"so youll just want to make sure you have the interface in your target language.  Then click your way around the various text options. If youre not familiar with The Sims, to play youll need to control virtual humans and help them navigate their way through day-to-day life. Every action is performed by clicking on a text command. That means youll see the words for  every single human activity, from mundane daily tasks to major life events and exciting escapades, in your target language.Prepare to learn how to live life in your new foreign language.Interface: English, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese (Traditional)Left 4 Dead 2Well, the zombies in this game speak the same language that they do in the English versionâ€"they just moan, groan, scream and splutterâ€"but by downloading a version in your target language, you can learn while hearing the intrepid apocalypse survivors hash out their game plans and scream for help.I havent listed the interface and subtitles languages, because this game is much better played with the full audio in your foreign language.Full Audio:  English, French, German, Russian, SpanishFableThis game has the power to capture your heart, I promise. Unless you decide to become an evil villain and inspire fear in the hearts of everyone around you. Your choices define whether your character becomes a beloved hero (a saint, really) or a vicious madman. So, pay close attention to whats going on at every step and make your choices accordingly. Your understanding of the language will determine your virtual fate.Full Audio: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, SpanishSubtitles and Interface:  English, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, SpanishLevel 4: Meet GamersMany of the games listed above from Steam are multiplayer online. Be sure to get yourself a headset to plug into your computer so you can hear and speak clearly! Interact with other players, get to know them, make cooperative teams and become friends.Soon, you may find that you have a regular group of foreign gamer friends to play with!If you need help finding people to play with in the foreign language of your choice, then take to the Internet to find some. Here are some subreddits curated in foreign languages that are perfect for tracking down international gaming buddies:Spanish:  /r/videojuegoFrench:  /r/JeuxVideo  and  /r/GamingQuebecGerman:  /r/zockenItalian:  /r/videogiochi/Level 5: Twitch and Lets Play!Remember when your older sibling or annoying friend would hog the console  and play one-player games for hours? (Okay, Ill be honestâ€"I was the older sibling who hogged the controller.) Well, this is more fun than that. Not to mention,  it will help you learn lingo and meet people to play with.YouTube GamingYouve probably heard of the YouTube trend where users record themselves playing favorite video games, walking views through the games and reacting to whatever happens along the way. This trend has completely gotten out of hand, in the best possible way.Just this past summer, YouTube made its Gaming site, set up specifically for viewing and broadcasting  live streams, available to every country where YouTube is available. Plus, it made streaming live insanely easyâ€"anyone can set up a live stream account and get started broadcasting in a matter of seconds. Save your favorite games and channels, and pop back to see whats live whenever you feel like watching.But theres one catch for international viewers and language learners alike: For now, the interface is entirely in English. This will hopefully change as the site becomes more popular (which it inevitably will), but for now you can track down the recently recorded and live videos in your target language by simply  typing your target language in the search bar.  For example, Spanish learners will want to search for español.  That will just show whatevers most recent in Spanish.Looking for a specific game and specific language? Type the name of the game with the language. For example, Japanese learning GTA5 enthusiasts would search for ???GTA5. Star the channels and videos that look relevant, and youll be able to keep track of when they go live or upload new videos.Lets Play!You might see the phrase Lets Play! around the Net when searching for good video game videos. Lets Play! videos are any YouTube videos that shows video game walkthroughs . The idea is that viewers will learn how  to play in general, or they will learn the specifics of advancing through levels and completing games. These videos  compile series of screenshots or gameplay clips, and they provide audio commentaries that explain every step.These are awesome for listening practice, so its worth tracking down some in your foreign language.Spanish: RicharBetaCodeFrench:  JeanBaptisteShowGerman: BeamYouTube ChannelsAll Lets Play! channels are YouTube gaming channels, but all YouTube gaming channels are not Lets Play! channels. This is a slight but subtle difference. The more broad YouTube gaming-related channels can go far beyond the walkthrough format, where you see how to play through games.YouTube hosts on these channels might spend time talking about the mythology and lore of their favorite games, talking about themselves, making music videos, featuring hot gaming news and so on.This could give you new perspectives on gaming, favorite games and your targ et language.French  CyprienGaming  â€" This channel belongs to one of the most famous French YouTubers, and will provide you with a weird, humorous grab-bag of gaming-related videos in French.CodJordan23 â€" Despite the username, which suggests undying devotion to COD (Call of Duty), this YouTuber is mostly into showcasing NBA games.GermanYankeeunit91 â€" This YouTuber has an  infectious laugh, which ranges from belly laughing to a high-pitched cackle, so his videos are bound to make for some hilarious German lessons. Check out his coverage of Need for Speed, Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto V (online and offline).Rocket Beans TV  â€" You never really know what to expect on this channel, as the YouTuber in charge is into an assortment of game titles. However, his videos make for fabulously diverse German lessons because hes constantly bringing his friends on for lengthy game-related chats.PietSmiet  â€" Here youll find videos of Minecraft gameplay and highlights from some oldies-bu t-goodies. The Mario Kart videos are crazy fun, as you might expect.SpanishelrubiusOMG  â€" Want to learn Castilian Spanish? This the gaming host for you. The Games in 1 Minute segments are great to watch for those new to the gaming scene. Youll also get to watch him run around trolling (frustrating and mocking) other gamers, which is always worth a laugh.JuegaGerman â€"  This Mexico YouTuber loves online and flash games, The Sims 4, Minecraft and The Walking Dead.Fernanfloo â€" Get a taste of the distinctive Argentinian accent on this channel!ChineseUnderstandably, most of our Chinese gamer friends arent on YouTube. There are, however, a few popular Taiwanese gamers that you can watch online.MrChesterccj â€" This one covers Grand Theft Auto 5, Minecraft, Halo 5 and other Xbox One games. Youll even be able to watch Little Big Planet 3, which is adorable, and various RPGs.RSPannie72127  â€"This YouTuber is very animated, and gives great reaction sounds that you could use in your own Chinese. She mostly does Minecraft and various RPGs, but she also does some fun real life gaming stuff, including board games.JapaneseIf youre learning Japanese, using video games (and videos about them) to learn will be a breeze. Not only do Japanese natives love games, they love sharing them and talking about them. Not to mention, Japan has tons of unique, otherwise unheard of games that only exist within the country, so youre always in for new surprises.Pazudoraya  â€"  Here youll find features on  mobile and tablet games, puzzle games and generally games youve never heard of. However, this guy talks a lot  so his channel will  give you  excellent listening practice and great inspiration for future mobile app downloads.Tomo0723sw  â€" Do you find loud, maniacal laughter to be contagious? Then this channel will have you in stitches! The host mostly covers mobile and app games, old retro games, flash games and online multiplayer modes. Youll also get to see him play through Alan Wa ke, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto 5, Lego Star Wars and Japanese games with strong elements of actual Japanese culture and society. Id recommend you try watching videos about games like  Boku no Natsuyasumi (My Summer Adventure), which will give you magical summer vacation nostalgia even if you didnt grow up in Japan.So, thats it!It sure was a long list, but the hope is that now every language learning gamer has been able to identify a video game that works in their target language.Nows the time to get out there, connect with fellow gamers and dive into your own virtual language learning experience.Good luck, and game on!