FreeRice vocabulary game

Here's a worthwhile cause, freerice.com and a vocabulary game you might like to try out on yourself.

For every word you get right, the site donates 10 grains of rice to the starving in the Third World, via the United Nations, paid for by advertising on the site. On Novemeber 21, 3,256,135,000 grains have so far been donated.

I'd suggest that the vocabulary is probably going to be too difficult for most of the learners you teach and (from their point of view) it isn't exactly very high frequency stuff, either.

But you might try it out with a Proficiency class -- but it really is that sort of level. It might also be a starting point for a discussion...

Role playing games for language learning?

Third World Farmer: Wheat and corn are planted, but I can't afford a chicken, and my kids are sick...

The (free) online role-playing game Third World Farmer is one I'd come across before, and one I'd recommended to language learners -- as one they might like to play in their own time, outside class. In reading, and understanding, and responding to the instructions, I think they would learn some English, in an enjoyable game, which might also heighten their awareness of some of the problems people in the third world face.

But maybe in fact it's one that you could use in class with learners... I very much liked the ideas for using the game on Nik Peachey's blog.

We should be using technology "not just to play but to learn language", as someone (Gordon?) who came to my CELTA session today suggested. Nik suggests getting people to do such things as compare strategies, rate and debate the game... There is "language" in the understanding and playing of the game and a lot more language (and interaction) in talking about the game...

You want to build that "after-the-technology" stage into your lesson plan.