Homeschooling & Summer Camp Fun & Practice with GamesforLanguage

We have recently been fielding inquiries from parents and camp counselors who wonder whether our GamesforLanguage programs are appropriate for homeschooling and summer camps. We always answer with an enthusiastic YES. In fact, our game-based programs are a great way to keep kids busy AND learning on rainy days. Once kids can read and write, they can play GamesforLanguage.

What are the GamesforLanguage program topics?

The 36 scenes of a course tell the story of a young man who travels to France, Italy, Spain, or Germany. The 4-14 line dialogs of each lesson – we call them “Scenes” - start with a conversation in the airplane, then cover visiting friends and family, some sightseeing, buying train/bus tickets, and ordering food. Along the way, tidbits of cultural information on each country are sprinkled in. (For example: Why did Mark Twain liked the name Heidelberg - where he lived for three months? Which French painter was a banker before he became famous?) The travel story engages the learner, provides relevant vocabulary, and creates a framework that ties everything together. Various games teach, review, and practice the vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation with points given for correct answers and completed games. (For voice recording, the player needs a microphone and Flash Player.) After the first few Scenes, players have to reach minimum scores in order to progress to the next Scene.

How does GamesforLanguage.com work?

We described both the idea of our program and its specifics in two recent blogs: The GamesforLanguage Program – Part 1: Approach and Methods, and Part 2: Games Summary. Even if children are following a specific language curriculum, GamesforLanguage will be a great and fun addition to their language learning, especially during the summer months and even later!

Hardware/Software

As this is an online program, you need a decent Internet connection, a PC/laptop with one of the modern and updated browsers: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, etc. as well as an updated Flash Player (for the recordings). You can even play our programs (without an Apple app) on an iPad and iPhone using iOS6, but – because Apple does not support the Flash player – the recording feature does not work on those devices. (We are hopeful that Android devices will soon be able to play our program as well.)

We also provide mp3 audios of each level which can be downloaded.

Pricing structures

Inquiries by summer camps have prompted us to develop different pricing structures for group purchases. And during May our FREE six-day trial provides a great opportunity for trying out GamesforLanguage!

FREE 6-day Trial with Learn & Earn in MAY

During the month of May, GamesforLanguage players can register for a FREE 6-day trial subscription. (Players who registered previously and have less than 300 points can still participate and can so indicate via contact.)

All can participate in our Learn & Earn challenge which continues into June. As further explained in our FAQs, users can earn additional free months, if they exceed score goals of 5,000 and 10,000 points respectively.

GamesforLanguage currently offers four languages: French 1, German 1, Italian 1, and Spanish 1. Easy games let players understand, read, write, and speak the story of a young traveler who visits the four European countries. With a story that continues through all 36 lessons of the program, players learn relevant and practical everyday vocabulary. Each player will also receive the mp3 audio of "The Story" at the start of each level to download.