A recent PBS NewsHour Report: "Can memory video games deliver on brain-boosting claims?" explores the question whether memory video games can improve and train the brains of older adults.
Cognitive Training and Video Games
While experts may still differ somewhat on the claims and real benefits of video games, there seems to be mounting evidence that they can indeed be used for cognitive training, though the results should not be overstated.
Adam Gazzaley, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco, acknowledges: “We do need better, more carefully controlled studies in order to make really strong prescriptive advice. That being said, in general, I think if you find these games fun, at least there's no clear evidence that they have detrimental effects, so I usually don't disrecommend them.”
Cognitive Training & Language learning
Anecdotes, common sense, or even personal experiences have long pointed to the It turns out that something as ordinary as speaking a couple of languages reconfigures the brain network in a way that positively affects certain things that brains do.grey-cell” benefits of learning a second (or third) language as an adult. This is also supported by brain research.
For example, a 2012 study performed by a group of researchers at the Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging at Lund University shows that language learning makes the brain grow. “There is a lot to suggest that learning languages is a good way to keep the brain in shape,” says Johan Mårtensen, one of the participating researchers at the university.
Or, research by Ellen Bialystok of York University in Toronto, Canada, who also concludes that bilingualism sharpens the mind. In an interview, conducted in 2011 for the British newspaper, The Guardian, Bialystok talks about the cognitive enhancement that many bilinguals experience. She states: “It turns out that something as ordinary as speaking a couple of languages reconfigures the brain network in a way that positively affects certain things that brains do.”
Video Games and Language learning
Combing language learning with Video Games should therefore be a natural marriage and a “no-brainer.” (excuse the pun!) If both activities enhance our brain and memory functions, those of us who like games would get a “twofer”: Having fun playing while learning a language at the same time.
Language learning apps, such as Mindsnacks and Duolingo, etc., and online language learning sites such as GamesforLanguage, Digital Dialects, etc., all use games and gamification as their main teaching tools and are getting increased attention. However, compelling video games that combine effective language training and pure fun are just starting to gain momentum.
So for all you language learners: If you find fun video games for learning a language – continue with them: They are unlikely to have a detrimental effect on your brain activities – and, just maybe, they will even boost them. And as an added benefit, you'll know how to communicate in another language!
In January 2013, I read on Zenhabits.net an article, “The Ultimate Guide to Motivation – How to Achieve Any Goal,” and applied its “8 Ways to Motivate Yourself From the Beginning” to our blog 8 Zenhabits for Language Learning.
I had also planned to apply its “20 Ways to Sustain Motivation When You Are Struggling” to language learning and, finally, here are the first 7 ways: (Sentences in quotes are taken directly from the article above.)
1. Hold yourself back – It's often easy to race through the first few lessons of a new language course, in our case, maybe to see how the games work, maybe to find out how much you already know, or maybe just because its fun to score points. All of that is fine, but if you are really serious about learning – HOLD BACK. Your brain can't absorb more than +/- 20 new words a day. So rather than pushing on, look forward to the next lesson tomorrow. "Keep the energy reined in, harness it, so that you can ride it even further."
2. Just start – There are days when you just don't feel like practicing. But, "instead of thinking about how hard it is, and how long it will take, tell yourself that you just have to start." Take your language book, tablet, laptop, or power up your PC or Mac, and just start. "After that it all flows naturally."
3. Stay accountable – Committing yourself publicly on an online forum, to friends, to your spouse or partner, or even to the language program you chose, is a good way to help you stay motivated. After all, you would not want to let them know that you gave up! (We, at GamesforLanguage are currently experimenting with this accountable aspect by letting motivated users play and learn for free as long as they practice regularly. If they don't, they'll have to pay to continue.)
4. Squash negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones – Language learners may indeed tell themselves: I'll never get those French sounds. Or: Those Spanish tenses are much too hard. Or: Those German cases are impossible.
We totally agree with Zenhabits: "It’s important to start monitoring your thoughts, and to recognize negative self-talk. Just spend a few days becoming aware of every negative thought. Then, after a few days, try squashing those negative thoughts like a bug, and then replacing them with a corresponding positive thought. Squash, 'This is too hard!' and replace it with, 'I can do this! If that wimp Leo can do it, so can I!' It sounds corny, but it works. Really."
5. Think about the benefits – You most likely had your own very good reason for learning a foreign language in the first place: family or friends, work or travel, study or research, etc. Whatever it is, imagine the benefits you'll derive from being able to understand, discuss, negotiate, or simply communicate in a foreign language. Keep your original reasons for learning and the benefits in mind and they will surely energize you.
6. Get excited again – Why do you suddenly have second thoughts? Because learning is harder than you anticipated? What thoughts got you excited in the first place? Was it the prospect of traveling abroad? Taking a job in another country? Whatever it was, try to recreate that wonderful feeling of excitement. It'll get you going again.
7. Read about it – Struggling with and having second thoughts about learning a new language is an experience shared by many. But today you can easily find blogs and articles by those who have struggled through but who got there in the end. Reading stories about others who made an effort to learn a language and have succeeded in becoming fluent may just be what you need to get your motivation back. If they can do it so can you!
So keep the picture above in mind: When struggling up a mountain, the view will get better and better and the feeling of having reached your goal will stay with you for a long time - not dissimilar to the feeling you'll experience when you begin to understand, read, write and participate in a conversation in your new language...
Reading about the death of Nelson Mandela reminded me how during my earlier career as a management consultant I had studied “The Mont Fleur Scenarios” as one of the very interesting case histories of scenario planning.
The question that was asked in the early nineties, after Mandela had been released from prison, was: What will South Africa be like in the year 2002? You can read about that planning effort in the link above.
But how does it apply to learning a new language?
Learning a language certainly doesn't involve a planning effort that includes many constituencies. It involves mainly YOU. And you are the one to decide which learning path you want to take.
You could take the “Icarus” path, start fast and try to learn rapidly, just to crash and give up, too often the fate of many adult language learners. But there is another scenario:
The Flight of the Flamingos
In the Mont Fleur Scenario, "The Flight of the Flamingos" tried to evoke their slow, gradual take-off. Your language learning scenario should be similar. A "Flamingo" path takes your time constraints and other commitments into account, but still allows you to review and practice regularly, ideally daily.
Practicing 15 -20 minutes daily will be more effective than spending 1-2 hours once a week. Daily practice will move the new words and phrases from your short-term to your long-term memory. And over time and with a good language practice plan, you will progress.
You get the point. There's no need to dwell on other possible scenarios (as in the Mont Fleur case). Remembering “The Flight of the Flamingos” will let you hold the image and remind you that with a realistic and sustainable practice path you indeed can learn a new language!
[Updated: March 9, 2020] We had all kinds of fun ideas marketing our site when in 2011, we first started our GamesforLanguage program. In 2014, we decided to make our page free-to-use for everyone. In any case, for us the site has been a great way to learn and practice languages and to engage with other language enthusiasts.]
[December 2013]: You registered on our site some time ago. You may have purchased/subscribed. Or you just tried one of our languages, but for whatever reason decided not to subscribe and continue.
And if you didn't subscribe, you may have felt that our course was:
• too easy or too challenging for you, or you just didn't like it, • or you don't have any interest and/or time to learn another language now, • or you just thought you shouldn't pay to learn a new language as there are free online courses available.
There is not much we can do about (1) and (2) above, but if you fall into category (3), or are a current or past subscriber, we'd like to hear your opinion about our CRAZY NEW IDEA:
The Crazy new Idea of a FREE Deal:
We continue with our FREE lessons for those who register and will be happy about any subscriptions. However, those who score more than 500 points by the end of Scene 2 will be able to continue with a FREE unlimited but conditional subscription.
What does “unlimited” mean?
Unlimited means that there is no time limit to your subscription. You can replay any Games and Scenes as many times as you'd like. You can progress at your own pace until you complete your course. In fact, any current subscription would also become unlimited, as long as the condition below is maintained.
What does “conditional” mean?
We want you to play and learn. But we also know that you'll learn a new language only with regular practice. Your free (or paid) subscription will stay active as long as you play at least 4 times per week (Monday-Sunday).
If you skip this schedule more than twice, you'll see the screen on your right and you'll then have to subscribe (or your current subscription will expire as scheduled) in order to continue with your course. Learning is FREE – you'll only be paying, if you are NOTpracticing!
What might be the effects?
If you are a really motivated learner who likes our game/story-based approach you'll want to continue for free until you have completed the course. Even if you skip days and lose the free access, you may want to subscribe and continue. (Or, you may indeed just stop using our course.)
Why are we doing this?
• We are a young, closely held company, and are less interested in revenues than in attracting motivated learners. • We hope that our “Learn & Play/Skip & Pay” model can keep learners motivated: We want you to learn for FREE and only pay, if you are NOT learning and practicing! • We want to test whether “avoiding to pay” is as good a motivator as paying up front.
What do you think?
Before we test our “crazy new idea” we want to ask our past/current subscribers and our registered users:
• Would your learning behavior have been/be different? • Would such a “deal” interest you? • Would it motivate you to learn? • What are aspects of the “deal” we should consider (vacation, illness, other, etc.) • Is this too crazy or unrealistic an idea?
We'd love to hear from you. What are your thoughts?
If you want to get better at something, you have to practice. That goes for sports, yoga, singing, playing an instrument, etc. It also holds true for becoming fluent and proficient in a foreign language.
I belong to an online group of polyglots. The enthusiasm and talent of most of the members is high and I find this very inspiring. Many of us are fluent in several languages and are shooting for several more.
It's a great goal to have, but even talented polyglots need to practice in order to learn and get better.
Practice takes time, which is a limited resource. So it's a good idea to have a plan to make your learning most effective. Some, but not all of the seven “ingredients” below are typically provided by traditional classes, online or self-teaching courses, CDs, books, etc.
You can greatly enhance and accelerate your learning, if you include them in your own, personal Foreign Language Practice Plan. Generally speaking, these three (3) basic ingredients belong to "practicing" a skill:
- doing something regularly - doing something with focus - doing something with the goal to improve over time
And then there's the whole question of how practicing can be both fun and effective. Here are my 7 ways which I've been using for my fifth and sixth languages:
1. Practice in Small Chunks
Devote some of your time to practicing your new language in small chunks (also called "chunking").
Take individual words, phrases, idioms, set expressions, and go over them with focus and intensity. Do them multiple times and use different ways to practice: listen & repeat, see & say, listen & write, say & record, listen with eyes shut, etc.
2. Practice All 4 Language Skills
It will come in handy to know all four skills - reading, listening, speaking, and writing.
If you connect with others on the internet, you'll be using all four skills. And, interestingly enough, with time the individual skills will begin to boost and strengthen each other. [See also our blog post: How the 4 Language skills boost each other]
3. Practice at Different Levels
Vary the level of difficulty. What you learn with easy texts is different from what you learn with texts that are highly challenging.
So, for example, alternate between reading a simple text and puzzling out a tough grammar structure. Or, listen to a basic audio after practicing speaking and recording yourself. Changing around is also a way to keep things interesting.
4. Engage Your Senses
The more senses you can involve when you're acquiring a language, the more effective you'll be.
Listen to the audio of a story or song, watch a movie or YouTube clip, read aloud or record yourself, write things out by using the motion of writing or typing, play interactive games on touch screens, etc.
5. Always Think of the Context
Why the context? Because in communication words take on different meanings in different contexts.
Even when you practice your small chunks, you should have the context in mind. For example, is it a formal or a casual situation? Is the tone serious or humorous? Does the word have another meaning that doesn't fit the context? To communicate effectively, you need to practice with more than simple word lists.
6. Practice often and regularly
We may not all have the time and opportunity for long daily practice sessions.
But, if you can set aside some 10-15 minutes for language practice every day, you'll progress faster than committing the same 60-90 minutes every week. The reason may be that daily practice helps move foreign words and phrases from short-term to long-term memory.
7. Reward Yourself
Practice takes discipline and isn't always fun.
You need to keep your focus, challenge yourself, as well as tolerate a certain amount of boredom. Rewarding yourself after a good practice might just help you stay motivated.
For some people, a gamified program works nicely. Others may want to give themselves points that add up for a special treat. For those with a serious goal in mind, the ultimate reward could be a trip to the country where you can experience the language and culture first hand.
The seven practices described above overlap in many ways, similar to what a physical exercise plan may do to the muscles in your body. Keeping them in mind as you develop your personal Language Practice Plan will help you select your practice materials.
In fact, just as you may use various exercise equipment and activity - weights, machines, running, etc., you should experiment and try out different practice materials - books, audios, online programs, CDs, or traditional courses, apps, etc. For the best results, you need to tailor your Personal Practice Plan to your own needs and goals.
A recent PBS NewsHour Report: "Can memory video games deliver on brain-boosting claims?" explores the question whether memory video games can improve and train the brains of older adults.
Reading about the death of Nelson Mandela reminded me how during my earlier career as a management consultant I had studied “
language 