¡¡Conjuguemos!!
I was introduced to a new online Spanish game called Conjuguemos which I see as a very useful tool both for an advanced Spanish learner needing a brush up and a beginner. On top of being useful for learners, this game can be useful for teachers as well. The direct translation of the title of the game is "We conjugate" in the subjuctive nosotros form of the Spanish verb conjugar, however the site also has practice for Italian, Latin, German, French and Portuguese. My understanding is that the game started as just a conjugation practice game, but then expanded to both grammar and vocabulary.
For the verb conjugation game you can look at a verb conjugation chart of each tense to study before you play the game. Then, you choose a certain amount of time that you want to be timed (or choose not to be timed) and then the site gives you a verb, a pronoun and you provide the conjugation. You can choose if you want to focus on certain pronouns or a certain verbs, for example, excluding the vosotros form since that is only relevant in Spanish used in Spain. The site keeps track of how accurate you are, and as a student, you can send how you do to a teacher so the teacher can keep track of how you are doing.
I think this is especially useful because you can have different students practice different things that they need to at the same time. It is also fun because it makes conjugation into a competition against yourself. You want to get as many conjugations correct in the allotted time and if you play multiple times, you want to beat your past score.
There are also grammar activities where you fill in blanks based on certain grammar topics as well as vocabulary exercises you can do based on theme vocabulary. I will be using this game to practice my own Spanish and I definitely see it's potential as a tool in my classroom in the future.
Hey Betsy! I enjoyed reading your post, because I didn't have a chance to check out any of the foreign language games. I'm glad to hear that they were fun and effective in practicing grammar! I was wondering, how do you think you might use this in your classroom in the future? Would it be for extra credit outside of class? Or do you think it would be something you'd want to spend class time on? I'm just curious, as I may be teaching a foreign language as well! Great post, and I'll definitely have to check this site out!
ReplyDeleteBetsy,
ReplyDeleteyou provided a good example of an instance in which integrating a video game into the classroom would be advantageous. However, I am becoming ever more convinced that by and large the application of video games to enhance or complement classroom instruction is an unrealistic goal. Shooters and other games people play for entertainment, i.e., non-educational games, seem to me to have no place in the advancement of student education. These educational games, however, like the one you described are constructed with students in mind and as such they are perfect fits. The only problem I have with language games like the one you described is that their application is ephemeral; they only suit early to intermediate learners. What are we to do when students start reading Cervantes or Goethe, and their skills surpass all that is required to complete these games?
It has been so long since I have conjugated a Spanish verb! This game sounds like it would have been a helpful resource to have when I was taking Spanish and it sounds like something you could incorporate into your classroom.
ReplyDeleteIn my blog post about video games I chose a non-educational game, specifically the LEGO video game series. My husband and I play these games and are addicted to them. My post focused on why these games are so fun and what is challenging about them, and then how we can apply these concepts, not necessarily the games, into the classroom. Were there any principles in the game that you think you could apply to your future classrooms?
Do you think that this game is one that students would like to play in class? At Scarlett we had a day of playing math games and surprisingly the students weren't as excited and challenged by the games as I thought they would be. These games were pretty cheesy and had horrible animations, and in my perspective a lot of the students didn't take them seriously. This may be something to consider if thinking about actually playing the game in the classroom.