Location: Computer room

Skills Focus: Speaking

Language focus: Prepositions of place, vocabulary in a house, imperatives (look, go, pick up etc)

Game: Escape Pear Room

The premise is that you get a little bit too drunk each Christmas and the family have decided they’ve had enough and locked you in the house.  It’s up to you to figure out how to escape.

Preparation

You can watch the Escape Pear Room video walkthroughs to familiarise yourself with the game.  This will help you while you are monitoring the activity to predict ahead, input language and guide learners if they get stuck.

Preplay

1. Tell learners they are going to see 4rooms and they will have 25 seconds each to write down any words associated with Christmas that they can see.
2. Open the game and move through the four rooms allowing 25 seconds on each for learners to write down the words.
3. Feedback in open class making sure all learners know the meaning of the words they have written down.
4. Go through the 4 rooms again and ask learners to describe where any of the difficult words are or any objects that they don’t know the name of in English.
5. Explain a little about the game and say here’s the start and show some of the video walkthrough.  Show enough so that learners see a few of the puzzles being solved.
6. Elicit how you play the game and what you do at the start.

Play

1. In a computer room gather learners round a single central computer and open the video walkthrough.  It may be a good idea to open one of the videos on one internet explorer and the other video walkthrough on another.
2. Tell learners that they can play the game in pairs and if they get stuck they can come to the video, watch a little bit and go back to their partner and tell them how to play a bit of it.
3. Put learners in pairs and get them on the game. Tell one of the pair that for 5 minutes they are the gamer.  The other is the watcher and they go back and forth to the video walkthrough.
4. Start the activity.  Monitor to ensure learners are using English and encourage them to use the words from the preplay activity.
5. Swap gamer and watcher roles after 5 minutes.

Post Play

1.  Learners write directions to  the end of the video.
2. Learners record vocabulary items from the game and make a Escape Pear Room dictionary.
3. Learners write a Dear santa note explaining the story and wishing to escape.

Location:  Connected Classroom

Skills Focus:  Writing

Language Focus:  Narrative Tenses

Game:  The First Hero

A game set in the times of ancient greek with a nice shadow puppet look and feel to it.

Preparation

Either play the game using a walkthrough to familiarise yourself with the game or print a copy of the First Hero Walkthrough off.  Also have some dice ready, enough for each group or pair of students.

Pre-Play

1. Introduce the area of narrative tenses as it comes up in the course book.
2. Do some controlled writing activities from the course book or work book.
3. Write 1-6 on the board and write some of the grammar areas next to them.

e.g.

1  Past simple

2  Past continuous

3  Past perfect

4  You can choose

5 Choose two of the tenses.

6 Write three sentences.

Play

1. Explain the game and encourage students to suggest what you have to do.
2. Listen to the students and follow their instructions until the last instruction for that stage of the game.  Stop before you do it so that students can see the stage of the game just before it is finished.
3. Tell students to roll the dice and write the story.  They can write what they like but they have to use the tenses according to their dice role but they can write more if they want.  Each student needs to write so they each/ all have a copy of the story.
4. Monitor and help with language.
5. Repeat the above steps until the game has finished.

Post Play

Also when starting the game you have to click continue, watch a brief storm sequence and then an advert for the game site.  Be a little patient and wait until the game title screen appears again and you can click PLAY.

Level:  Beginner->Intermediate

Location:  Connected classroom (i.e. one computer with an Internet connection)

Language: Directions and driving language (turn left/turn right/go forward/go back / stop – more complicated directions can be used if the level is higher: take the first right / go straight ahead / slow down / speed up / etc.)

Skills focus:  Listening/Speaking

Game: Driver Seat

Preparation

Make sure the game works in your classroom and play the game to get a feel for it.

Pre-gaming

Tell the learners you are going to give them a test, and then after the groans, say that it’s going to be a driving test! Elicit or tell them the basic vocabulary and write this on the board.

Gaming

1. Show the learners the game and the first task (see image below), which is to drive through town and make a few errands. Check understanding and then you’re ready to start.

2. When you can see the car, start driving and pause, asking the learners to tell you what to do (turn left / go straight on / etc) until you get to the first task – Parking (see screenshot below).

3. Ask a volunteer to continue to tell you what you should do to be able to park correctly. If you crash, then you need to start again, and ask for another volunteer. If a learner manages to do it, you can ask another to try to park in less time, giving practice to a number of the students.

4. The next task is to drive to meet a friend for lunch (see screenshot below). Proceed in the same way as you did with the parking section. This time, you have to be careful not to knock anyone down.

5. You can always let the learners have a go at driving too (try some of the other mini games for variation), but tell the person in the driving seat to follow the instructions given by the others rather than drive where they want to go.

Post Gaming

Review the language with the learners and (if appropriate), talk about driving (what makes a good driver? Do people drive well where you live? etc. )

Location:  Computer Room

Langauge: 1st conditional/ will

Skills focus:  Writing

Game:  Quest For The Rest

If you’ve used Samorost 2 with a class then the graphics in this game will look familiar as both were made by Amanita designs.  In Quest For The rest you have to help a group of people solve puzzles and pass obstacles to get back to their community.  This is a visually attractive game that takes place over three screens.

Preparation

Download a copy of the Quest For The Rest worksheet enough for each learner or pair of learners.

Pre-gaming

1. As a pre-gaming activity hand out the gap fill walkthrough.
2. Ask Students to read the first screen and guess the answers in pairs.
3. They can write the answer they think it is in pencil.
4. Put the game on at the front of the class (data projector or and IWB) and play the game and elicit the language to put in the gaps.
5. Complete the first screen so you are happy that the gaps are filled with language that is accurate both in grammar and as an explanation on how to complete the game.
6. Show the students the next screen and discuss how they think the gaps will be filled for the next screen. Correct language but tell them that you don’t know how to do this screen. tell them that they are going to play the game and complete the gaps themselves.

Gaming

1. Take the students to a computer room where there is one computer for two students.
2. One student plays the game (the gamer) and the other completes the gap fill (secretary). In pairs the students play the game and complete the gaps.
3. Students swap roles as gamer and secretary every sentence. Use the secretaries reluctance to write and eagerness to play the game as a means to slow the game down and ensure they complete the gaps as they play the game.

Post Gaming

Location: Computer room

Skills focus: Reading.

Game: My American Farm

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has commissioned a set of games aimed at teaching agricultural literacy.  The selection of games test players on topics as diverse as geography, maths, ingredients to recipes and even the best type of machinery to mow the grass at St. Andrew’s golf course in Scotland.

What I like about the games here is that there is extensive use of language.  Like many online quizzes you get asked a question and you are tested on whether you know a select item of vocabulary.  This goes one step further and provides additional clues.  Take for example the Equipment Engineer.  I chose this one because I was doubtfulwhether my learners would benefit from expanding their knowledge of farm engineering equipment.  However, the language clues contained useful language and valid reading skills practice and avoided technical and specialised vocabulary.  You read the clue, look through the equipment and click on one to read a description of it, then drag it onto the golf green if you think you have found the right piece of machinery. You get feedback on your progress on the left hand side with each ‘cog’ turning gold each time you complete a quest.  Complete three of the quests and you earn a stamp in your passport.

The passport is the the thing I liked the most, though admittably it is the element that is the least digital of all.  You download and print off the passport.  Then with a pair of scissors and some glue you put it together and then when you play any of the games and complete one of the challenges you earn a stamp in your passport (stamp, unfortunately, not included).  This is great as it provided an extra incentive for learners to play the games and even conduct a little (cheating) practice at home.  Luckily, I have a stamp with a rather comical sheep on it (looks a lot like the sheep in Wallace and Gromitt the wrong trousers) and along with my signature over the top (plus the name of the game) means that I can control the game play.  I even offer my hand at doodles around the sheep if a player completes a game a number of times.

But what about the games?  Are they all good?  Well, not all of them but judge the ones below for yourself:

AG Across America Asks questions about aspects of geography and you have to click on a US state the question infers.  Get the question right and you also get given a fact and you learn about agriculture in the states

Amazing Grains Read the question and make a choice on your answer from the two options.  You have a 50/ 50 chance of getting the maths focussed quiz right.

Equipment Engineer we’ve explained already above.

Farmers Market Challenge Choose a market topic (flowers, protein, eggs, fruits, nuts, veggies or cheese) and answer solve maths based puzzles.

Finders Keepers Choose a food group (grains, protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits or physical activity) then read the challenge to find, say healthy physical activities and then drag the right floating images into the boxes.

Let’s make Something Tasty Read the recipe clues and then find the missing ingredients in the word search to complete the recipe instructions.

Little Ag Me Choose a job from the agricultural industry (food chemist, large animal vet, logger, plant scientist, diesel mechanic, produce buyer or environmental engineer) and answer questions about it.  The questions are supported by images so it’s possible to deduce meaning from even some of the more difficult language.

Spin ‘n Solve Spin a wheel to decide your prize and then read a clue to a word before guessing which letters may be part of that word.  If you’ve ever seen the Tv game show ‘spin the wheel’ then you have a good idea how to play this game.

That’s Life Learn about the life cycle of various things (soy, cotton, pumpkin, horse or paper).  There’s actually not a lot of language in this game but I was using a course book that had exercises around this topic.  Learners played this game and then used the language in the book to write about the life cycle in the game.

What’s in The World a nice geography test where you read clues and look at pictures in order to identify a country.  Get the answer right and you get a ‘fun fact’.

Wild Water Adventures Choose an adventure (alpine skiing, ride the rapids, crazy canoe course or olympic swim trials) and practice your reading comprehension skills.  Each adventure has a different story.  Read the story and answer comprehension questions.

There were a few other games on the site but the level of language content was low.  Having said that they are educational so they could be offered as ‘fun’ breaks from English.  I just wouldn’t encourage too much play on them other than to get the stamp in their passport.  Speaking of passports I need to check mine – it’s my summer holiday soon!

And on that note folks Digital Play will be on holiday for the summer.

We’ll be back in September.

Wishing you all a relaxing summer!

Location: Computer room

Language Focus: Any

Game: Xtranormal

Xtranormal is a text to speech movie maker that’s free and easy to join.  It might be a bit heavy to run but it’s a definite hit with learners.

On the right here you can see a screen shot of the movie maker editor. The instructions are at the top followed by the set, actor, sound and story folders.  The story folder is where all language production begins.

The Story

Simply click on an actor and start writing what you want them to say in the text box.  Once you’ve finished switch to the next actor.

For fast finishers there are the effects running down the left hand side.  Why not customize your movie to:

• Change the camera angle during shots.
• Get the actors to perform actions.
• Get the actors to point to objects.
• Get the actors to make some facial expressions.

. . . and more.

At any time you can hear how Xtranormal converts the text that has been written to speech.  It may not be the most authentic sounding speech but it serves the purpose.

The free account is more limited than the options open to those that pay but the free account does offer a good range of sets, actors, sounds and stories. If you did decide to go pro and get the better upgraded options then its worth bearing in mind that learners on multiple computers can access, work and save on a single account  - at least they can on the free one.

Why not watch an example of two actors discussing how an Xtranormal movie can be used with a class.  That way you can judge for yourself if you think its worth turning your language learners into movie makers.

Level: I’ve used this site with language learners as young as 8 to adults.  You just have to make sure the activity task is appropriate and to their level.

Language focus: The first time I use this with learners I generally just let them get on with it.  As I monitor I’ll help on correction, input language and ask them about the direction they are moving in.  Then, in later classes I like to return and get learners to open their movie projects and expand on the text using recent language we’ve covered in class.  This generally means the final product contains a range and complexity of language that they can be proud of.

If learners feel inspired enough to start a new project this is also fine but I always encourage them to review some of the language we’ve done over the course and encourage them to recycle it.

Have fun and maybe see your language learners at the oscars one day.

Location: Connected classroom

Skills focus: Writing

Language Focus: Relative clauses

This is a nice little activity to stimulate a little writing in class.  I have used it to practice relative clauses but there’s no reason that you can’t just forget a language focus and just get learners to write.  I’ve done this activity a few times and I either :

1. Let them see the titles of the game and ask them if they know the game.  If they do if they know the music.  If they don’t know the game I ask them to predict what the music might sound like.
2. Don’t let them see the titles and simply play the music following the instructions below.

Pre-play

Brainstorm the titles to a few video games on to the board.

Ask the following questions about each game and elicit some sentences using relative clauses.

When is it?          Where is it?          Who is it about?

e.g. Mario brother olympics

I elicited the following:

“In a time when Mario and his friends went to the olympics”

“In a land where Mario and his friends live”

“About people who compete to win the olympics”

Play

• Put learners in pairs and tell them they are going to listen to some music from a video game.
• After they hear each piece of music they should write three sentences about what they think the video game is about.
• You can get them either to number the sentences in order or ask them to write them out of sequence on a piece of paper.  Tell them not to worry if they don’t know which video game it is.  This is not important.  What is important is that they listen to the music and imagine what they think the game is about and write the sentences.

1. Age of empires intro
2. Call of duty 4 intro
3. Farmville
4. Full metal gear intro
5. Grow cube intro
6. Half life intro
7. Spore intro
8. Sims 3 intro
9. Pacman intro
10. Mario intro

Post Play

• If learners have numbered their sentences in order then they can compare their sentences and decide which are the best for each piece of music.
• Play the music again if necessary to help learners decide.

OR

• If learners have written their sentences out of sequence on a piece of paper you can collect them in and hand them out randomly.
• Learners then read them, listen to the music again and match each three sentences to each piece of music.

Homework

• Dictate the names of the games and ask learners to find out online about the game.  They can then rewrite their sentences to compare the following class.

OR

• Learners go home and choose three games (one’s they’ve got if possible) and write three sentences about them.  They then read the sentences out next class to see if their classmates can guess the name of the game.

Stage 07 is a fun and engaging adventure game where you play the part of young woman called Ms Webb who is on an assignment for her job.  As you play the game you begin to understand that things are not as simple as they at first appear.  At the heart of the game there is a mystery that unfolds as you journey to different locations and talk to different in-game characters.

The main reason I like this game is that you can listen to the characters speak while reading what they say in the speech bubbles.  This provides learners with some nice listening and reading practice.  The dialogue is delivered a little slower than natural speech but this is probably a good thing when using it with English language learners.

This game is also a favourite of mine because you have to engage with the language content.  At times you will start a conversation with someone and you will then be given a choice of possible things you could say.  Depending on what you decide to say affects how the story of the game unfolds.  This provides some great opportunities to discuss in open class what you should say and why.  Then, once the decisions have been made and the dialogue in the game has been completed, you can discuss how good or effective the choices were.

I’ve used this game in both the classroom, presenting the game to the whole class on one computer, and a computer room, with learners playing the game in pairs.  In the latter, I simply get learners to open 3 internet explorer windows for the game, the walkthrough and an online dictionary.  Either way you use the game it definitely helps if you have a copy of the stage 07 walkthrough to hand.  I also found it useful to play the game myself before using it with the class.  There’s one point where the character is walking round the streets and has to talk a couple of times to a man on a bench.  If I hadn’t played the game before nor had I had the walkthrough I think the game would have ground to a halt here.

As we played the game I would ask ‘wh’ questions to ensure learners both understood what was happening, to guide them along the lines of the walkthrough and also just to generate language.  Common questions would be:

“Who is this person?” and “How do you think they can help us?” The singular use of ‘they’ proved of interest to some learners.

“What do we know so far?” and “Where do we do next?” An opportunity to recap on and then predict the storyline

Generally if I play the game using the walkthrough I don’t have to think about much other than language issues.  This can be as simple as just helping learners to reach a greater understanding of the game or/and, as opportunities arise, to recycle grammar and vocabulary we’ve covered in the term.

Play the Stage 07 game

Read the walkthrough

Level: Intermediate or Advanced

Location: Connected classroom/ Home

Skills Practice: Speaking/ Listening

Game: Robin Hood Learning Quest

It’s not often you get a fun game which is aimed at more than one Language learning level but this one does.  You first join Second Life (a free virtual world) which both you and your learners will have to do.  When you have finished making your avatar you log in to Second Life and then click on the SLurl above the picture.  Your avatar will then be teleported to the start of the Robin Hood quest.  It may be a little tricky moving around the first time you arrive there so a little orientation video doesn’t go amiss.

Preparation

There are a few system requirements and you will need to check that you can play audio if you are using the audio plays and have working headphones and speakers for each learner if they are using voice.  Of course, if they are in the same room they won’t need to use voice but if your learners are connecting from different geographical locations then voice can be very useful.  Try and establish some ground rules for taking turns to talk though, otherwise it can get confusing.

Arriving

There are a few things you should do when you arrive there for the first time:

1. Make friends with the other people there by right clicking on them and choosing ‘add friend’.
2. Chat using the public text box that runs along the bottom of the page.
3. Talk with them by using speakers and a microphone and clicking on the speak button that is just on the right of the public chat box.
4. Make someone responsible for keeping everyone together (the one most comfortable in this new environment), another responsible for remembering the clues and another for making decisions.

You are now ready to start the Quest.

Intermediate

For intermediate language learners there is a crossword they can download and complete while playing.  Here’s how they play:

1. They can find the Robin Hood crossword by clicking on the sign on the tree with the arrow in it (see the picture above – it’s the tree behind the fire).
2. They discuss what they should do to complete the crossword.
3. Then they find and read colour coded clues which tell them where to look next and what to look for.  They can surf the net to find the answers if they want.
4. As they journey through the quest they fill in the crossword.
5. Finally at the end there is a puzzle to solve which will gain them access to the dungeon where Maid marian is being kept prisoner.  They open the treasure chest and get a prize.

Advanced

For advanced language learners there are a series of audio plays they listen to.  In each play there is a clue to where they should go next and what to look for.  The Robin Hood crossword is optional but it’s a good way to keep them on task and encourages discussion.  Here’s how they play:

1. They listen to the audio play and discuss where they think the next clue is hidden and how to get there.
2. They also discuss what they need to look for (and complete the crossword when possible).
3. They then follow steps 3-5 in the Intermediate section above.

The audio play tape scripts can be useful.  Here’s a quick video introduction to the Robin Hood Quest:

By the way the final clue to open the dungeon door at the castle is:

1228/ Move aside for me please

If you are playing by using just the audio clues then you will need to tell your learners the password at the end because the last puzzle of the quest is a quiz to make sure they have completed the crossword.

Remember at the end of the day that the sole purpose of the quest is to provide a challenging and engaging task in which a lot of English is spoken.  I’ve spoken to a teacher who did the quest and said that the amount of English produced was great – unfortunately they only got through 3 of the 9 quest locations because they ran out of time.  Oh well!  Extra but fun homework I suppose.

Level: Intermediate

Location: Classroom

Skills Focus: Speaking / writing about a robbery

Language Focus: Past simple, sequencers

Game: Heist

This online game involves passing through four rooms solving puzzles so you can finally steal secret plans.  In this classroom activity you can download the floor plan of the game with the puzzles and obstacles fully described for your learners to discuss in a speaking activity.

Preparation

Download a copy of the Heist Layout for each pair.

Pre-task

1. Divide the class into pairs and tell them to draw two columns Present & Past
2. Dictate the present tense forms of the verbs below and learners write the past tense.
3. 
4. Feedback to make sure the past tenses are correct.
5. Write a list of sequencers on the board e.g. first of all, then, after that, as soon as, when, finally, etc

Speaking activity

1. Explain that there was a robbery last night in the school and one of the students stole the answers to a test.
2. Hand out the the Heist Layout picture.
3. Ask learners where in the picture the test answers are (answer: on the table in the fourth room).
4. Ask learners how they think the student got into the school (answer: they hid in the box in room 1)
5. Pick or ask for a volunteer to read the information about the four rooms aloud.  Check understanding.
6. Tell learners to take it in turns to tell their partner how they think the student the tests answers.  Use the information about the rooms, the verbs above in the past tense and as many sequencers as they like.

Post activity

Learners write down a report on how they think the heist was done.

Homework

Tell Learners the game tutorial shows them exactly what happened.  For homework they play the game at home and correct their Heist Report to make what happened like how the game plays.

NOTE – They can find the game by googling – “free world group” heist