Show notes
Jared Turner and John Pasden sit down with Fred Poole, a language acquisition expert from Michigan State University who knows a thing or two about game-based learning. Fred shares his personal experience learning Chinese and how he's been using games to help others learn languages too. He even breaks down the difference between gamification and game-based learning, and why learning in context is crucial. Plus, Fred spills the tea on his research into trilingual immersion and the games he's developed for language learning. Jared and John also chat about a Texas school that's all about tri-language immersion. And don't miss Fred's top pick for the best language learning game, and his thoughts on Duolingo! Links from the episode:Fred Poole at GithubGame and Activity Book by Fred Poole (PDF)Identity RPG game Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Curly Haired Company | Mandarin Companion Level 1 graded readerTimestampIntroduction [00:00:03]Introduction of the hosts and guest, and brief overview of the episode.Fred's motivation for learning Chinese [00:01:39]Fred's reasons for starting to learn Chinese and his initial language learning experience.Gamification vs. Game-based learning [00:06:46]Explanation of the difference between gamification and game-based learning, and common misconceptions about game-based learning.Quizlet and Gamification [00:09:25]Discussion of how Quizlet can be an example of gamification, and the potential problems with relying on external rewards for motivation.Language Use in Game-based Learning [00:12:21]Explanation of how language use in game-based learning can have real-world consequences within the game, and how game-based learning can foster communities and shared experiences.Game-based learning [00:15:05]Discussion on the benefits of game-based learning for language acquisition and the importance of contextualized language use.Mystery Forest board game [00:18:10]Description of the board game developed by Fred Poole for the Utah Dual Language Immersion Program, which integrates math and language instruction and promotes collaboration and language use among students.Sherlock Holmes in the Case of the Curly-Haired Company [00:25:09]Jared and John promote their Mandarin Companion graded reader series and discuss their latest release, a Chinese adaptation of a Sherlock Holmes story.Trilingual Immersion [00:29:48]Discussion about trilingual immersion schools and the benefits of learning multiple languages.Developing "Legend of the Dragon" [00:31:17]Fred Poole's process of developing "Legend of the Dragon" and how it was tailored to the vocabulary level of sixth-grade students.Using Game Data in Language Learning [00:37:11]Fred Poole discusses the benefits of using game data in language learning and how it can help teachers identify struggling students.Learning Chinese Through Video Games [00:41:24]Fred Poole recommends playing video games in Chinese, such as Stardew Valley, and finding collaborators on Reddit.Closing and Resources [00:45:53]Jared and John thank Fred and provide links to his website and games, and encourage listeners to subscribe and leave a review.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
