#Language learning gamification

[theenglishnook]

The Gamification Revolution in Language Learning

Level Up Your Language Skills Embarking on the journey of language acquisition has undergone a thrilling metamorphosis, ushered in by the captivating wave of the gamification of language learning. Imagine language learning not as a tedious task but as an immersive quest, where learners don the mantle of heroes in a digital realm, unlocking linguistic prowess and cultural insights. The…

[cleargreyskies]

Genuinely my longest habit since Friday art group in my school days.

[simulanissolutions]

The Metaverse is transforming education by enabling immersive, interactive, and engaging learning experiences.  Simulanis, a leader in AR, VR, MR, and Metaverse solutions, is at the forefront of this revolution, developing cutting-edge immersive learning technologies for various industries.

[forgottenbones]

Trying to Speedrun Duolingo in a Random Language

[vampire-connoisseur]

...

WELP, i honestly believe that for most people, the most valuable aspects of duo were teaching you what does and doesnt work for your brain and offering (poor) courses in languages with fewer available resources ANYWAY!

DUO IS FRICKING DEAD GUYS

rip duo-

fricking crap.. omg nooo

[clever-ludicrous]

How to Actually Learn a Language (Without Wasting Time)

Polyglots will do anything to sell you something, so here’s the fastest and most basic technique based on my research.

—

Step 1 – Getting the Absolute Basics In

This is where most people already get lost. If you search social media for how to start, the advice isn’t necessarily bad, but it often makes you dependent on a single resource, usually an app that will eventually try to charge you. Duolingo, for example, has turned into a mega-corporation that perfected gamification to keep you on the app.

Remember: free apps make money by keeping you on their platform, not by helping you become fluent.

At this stage, the goal is not to gain conversational skills but to avoid overwhelming yourself and get a feel for what you’re actually getting into. All my recommended resources are free because I believe learning a language should be a basic right. I wouldn’t advise spending any money until you’re sure you’ll stick with it. Otherwise, it can turn into a toxic “but I paid for this, so I have to keep going” mindset that drains all the fun out of learning.

• Language Transfer – Highly recommended for Spanish, Arabic, Turkish, German, Greek, Italian, Swahili, and French.

• Textbooks – Simply search for [language] textbook PDF, or check LibGen and the Internet Archive. Don’t overthink which book to choose—it doesn’t matter much.

• Podcasts – Coffee Break is a solid choice for many languages.

• YouTube Channels – Join r/Learn[language] on Reddit and find recommendations.

—

Step 2 – The 20/80 Principle

The idea is that 20% of words make up 80% of everyday speech.

What you’re going to do:

Search “Most common words [language] PDF”.

This list is now your best friend

For flashcards, I highly recommend AnkiPro. It lets you import pre-made lists for Anki/Quizlet and has an archive where you’ll definitely find the most common words. But it lacks audio. The real Anki program has it, but only on PC (unless you’re willing to pay $30 for the mobile app). Use AnkiPro for now—we’ll come back to repeating phrases later. In the meantime, find a YouTube video with the most common words pronounced, or use Google Translate for audio.

(Knowt is a free alternative for Quizlet if you prefer that)

These lists will spare you from learning unnecessary vocabulary at this stage. Spaced repetition (which Anki uses) can take longer, but it’s worth it because you want these words to stick. Anki will only introduce a small number of new words per day. Once you start new words, write phrases using them. Doesn’t matter if they’re random just try to use them.

—

Step 3 – The First Breakup With the Language

This isn’t really a step, but I have to mention it. For me (and for other language learners I’ve talked to) this is where motivation crashes.

The dopamine rush is over. Your ego boost is gone. You’re stuck understanding just enough to notice how much you don’t understand, and topics are getting more complex. Everything feels overwhelming, and motivation drops.

This is normal. You have to push through it.

I’ll write a separate post on how I manage this phase, but for now:

• Take a step back and make sure you understand the basics.

• Find something that keeps you motivated.

• Consistency is key. Even if it’s just five minutes a day, do it. (Edit: You can search online for inspiration on scheduled plans. I found one that organizes language exercises into different categories based on how much time you have each day, which seems helpful. https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/s/sSGUtORurM

Personally, I used AI to create a weekly plan kind of as a last resort before giving up on the language, but try looking for pre-made ones first.)

I personally enjoyed story learning during this phase. And don’t forget the frequency lists are still your best friend. For story learning check out Olly Richards books!

—

Step 4 – Immersion

Your brain needs active and passive immersion. The earlier steps were mostly active, and now you’ll start the fun part.

How to Immerse Yourself:

1. Join some kind of community.

• I enjoy Reddit/ r/lean[Language]. Do this in your target language, but also in the language you already speak. Post that you’re looking for a chat partner in your target language. The most people are nice, and the mean ones will just ghost you anyway.

2. Watch shows.

• Subtitles only in your target language or drop English subtitles ASAP.

3. Listen to podcasts.

4. Read

I personally dislike media made for kids (except on low-energy days). For real immersion, pick something for adults.

5. Translate, write, and speak.

Before this, you wrote simple sentences using vocabulary. Now, put them to work:

• Translate texts.

• Keep a diary.

• Write short stories.

• Complain about the language in the language.

It doesn’t matter, just use it.

—

Step 5 – Speaking

Start speaking earlier than you think you’re ready. Trust me. This is probably where most people disagree with me. I do think you should start by focusing on input, but the importance of output isn’t talked about enough.

Now, the real Anki (or any program with phrases + audio) comes into play. At lower levels, it doesn’t make sense to just start talking, since you wouldn’t even be able to recognize your mistakes. Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Repeat phrases out loud.

2. Record yourself speaking.

3. Compare your recording to the original audio and adjust your pronunciation.

If it’s a tonal language (or if you struggle with accents), start this even earlier.

Other Speaking Strategies:

• Shadowing – Repeat after native speakers.

• Reading aloud – Your own texts, books, anything.

• Talking to yourself.

• Talking to natives (if you’re brave).

I’m not here to fix social anxiety, but I am here to help with language learning, so just speak.

—

Final Thoughts

• These steps overlap, and that’s fine.

• This is supposed to be fun. Learning just because you’re “too deep in” or because of school won’t cut it.

• If you’re lost, take a step back.

• I’m not a professional. I just think a straight answer is way too hard to find.

—

If you have anything to add, feel free to share.

[shibaincubus]

How to change your life with Gamification

Disclaimer stat point and daily quest (points) are used interchangeably and are different from main/side quest (points)

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You may have already heard about Gamification. It’s a strategy in which you use game mechanics,elements and principles to apply them to your everyday life to enhance your performance, studying etc.

But how should I use this technique to get the most of my life?

This is a guide for implementing Gamification in your life and thoroughly explains the process.

In my guide I am inspired by manhwa systems like in the solo leveling manhwa. Normally a system gives you stats such as strength which one can upgrade and become stronger. Upgrading is archived by quests that give you exp which also can increase your Rank e.g from F Rank to E Rank all the way to S Rank or higher. Quests are differentiated between daily quests and non daily quests. There are more functions such as items and gold but for the basic setup they are not needed

First you need to create your stats. In the solo leveling manhwa there are six stats: Strength, Vitality, Agility, Intelligence and Sense. You should have six stats but you are not obligated to use the ones from solo leveling. Idk how you can implement Sense and Vitality.

I strongly recommend you to have a stat called Willpower which indicated if you did every quest that you set for yourself and how well you stick to the system as a motivation.

As you can see I copied the stats Strength, Intelligence and Agility from Solo Leveling and added Willpower, Discipline and Stamina.

Some other ideas for stats are:

Charm (Beauty stat: I would use this if you want to glow up)

Charisma (If you want to improve your social skills or want to speak ------------ more professionally etc. I would use this stat

Health: If you want to eat more healthily or want to diet or want to -------- get your sleep schedule right etc. I would use this stat

You can get creative and cater to your own needs

Now if you have your stats you have to create a daily quests with each of these stats

Here is my example:

My quests don't look like much but you have to gradually work yourself up to your goals. Someone who has never done e.g Pilates in their life can't do a 30 min Pilates workout from day one without loosing motivation in the long run. So if you want to e.g. get your sleep schedule right I would set your wake up time e.g. 5min earlier every cycle until you reach your goal and maintain it.

A cycle equals 21 days. If you finish a cycle you can reflect your performance and make the daily quests harder or change the stats if they don't fit into your goals. Especially your first cycle is more of a test and try period. But you should keep your stats as they were and should not change them except if they really don't serve you.

Main/Side Quest stats:

These quests are quests like ''learn … language for 15min''. They are more of a to-do lists task.

I would use this formula for categorizing these tasks:

ASSIGNMENT (S) LIST

The ASSIGNMENTS

:::

:::

:::

CATEGORY: main/side exp etc.

DIFFICULTY: e.g. SSS

CLEAR CONDITION: e.g. finish all assignment(s)

TIME LIMIT: e.g. 7 hours

REWARD UPON COMPLEATION

:::

+2 exp

Stats in crease: e.g. Mentality +1 Intelligence +2 Motivation +1 Skill +1

PENALTY UPON FAILIURE

:::

all stats -1 (e.g.)

emotional damage e.g. +3

DURATION: e.g. 24 hours

Items confiscation …

DURATION: ???

Emotional damage stat explained:

This stat affects your conversion rate to points in the daily quest stat points. Normally the conversion rate is 10 e.g 10 main quest stat willpower point = 1 daily quest willpower stat point. Per +5 emotional damage you have to collect 5 extra points to converse the stat point

Example 10 points are needed in the main quest stats to converse to one stat point with a rate of 5 emotional damage point you need 15 points. A 10 point emotional damage point equals a 20 point conversion rate and so on.

How to decrease the emotional damage stat:

If you complete main/side quests as a reward you get -1 emotional damage point which you can use to get your emotional damage point to a good level. Emotional damage can't get into the negative.

The difference between daily quest stats or stats and main/side quest stats and leveling up is explained below

Stats in/de- crease in the main/side quests doesn't affect the normal stats that we've established so you have to create a new stat page for the main/side quest stats to count the points.

Like this:

Ten points on e.g intelligence stat on this list equals one daily quest intelligence stat point.

The conversion rate is as such 10 to 1 which means if you have e.g ten agility points you get one agility stat point.

How to level up:

Every time you finish a daily quest you gain a point for the Stat (first pic) you can only gain one point per stat per day. If you gain 10 points at every stat in the daily quest stat you can level up. If you don't finish a quest you will loose 1 point from the stat that you would've gained one point from.

Ranking up:

First you have to choose a range from which you can level up e.g F to S Rank / F to SSS+ Rank etc. than you have to find a starting point which you gradually increase e.g 20 (start point) increases +20% per Rank up.

How to increase your Rank:

Completing all daily quests gives you 1 EXP while the EXP gain can value in main/side quest the rest is explained above.

Here's my example:

Zyklus is German for cycle which I just tracked here and is explained above.

Lastly you need something that motivates you and in Solo Leveling it was a Punishment Zone if sung jin woo doesn't complete his quests.

For myself if I don't complete 5/6 quests i have to do the punishment.

For the punishment you have to do something you detests (and strains your body)

My example are 150 burpees

A full page can look like this:

One last thing is that you can 100% customise this approach you can add coins items etc. which also exists in a system, change other things as you like but the foundation has to remain intact.

[neristudy]

Learning German & Staying alive

☄  https://german.net/ - free online resource with some tests, text, and planty more. Great for reading and reading comprehention;

☄ https://germanwithlaura.com - great course that explains grammar a bit more manageable;

☄ https://www.clozemaster.com - somewhat of a duolingo-copy, gamification at ift greatest. From 100 to 50 000 common words in context, can be used for free;

☄ https://wunderdeutsch.com/uk/grammatik-null-u/ - grammar, but in ukrainian. Helpful;

☄ https://golernen.com/ - more grammar, with ukrainian language avaliable;

☄ https://piracywhiskeypoetry.tumblr.com/post/136460408137/language-resources-masterpost - masterpost with multiple language;

☄ https://mein-deutschbuch.de/grammatik.html - another damn grammar

☄ https://www.quia.com/web - tests, some fun stuff.

sheesh I would need to make it pretty, but for now will do

[oidheadh-con-culainn]

Can’t agree more about that duolingo post you shared, the Irish course is *terrible*. Do you have any recommendations for other places to go to learn Irish for someone with practically no knowledge of the language?

dublin city university has asynchronous courses that run regularly on futurelearn, starting with irish 101 and going up to 208 (you might have to wait a little while for 101 to come around again because they don't all run simultaneously). they're a pretty good intro with more grammar explanations, written exercises, etc. my biggest issue with them was motivating myself to actually put the time in, because i found it tough to get through all the course in the amount of time i had available to give to them, but they're probably the best free online resource i know of, especially because they do have people there to answer questions and explain grammar

there are also various online courses on zoom etc but those tend to cost money. i do think after a certain point it's worth trying to get in an actual class (in person or online) for the conversation practice if nothing else, but something like the futurelearn courses is a good stepping stone to get going

for pure vocab, memrise has so far not fallen as far down the hole of "gamification of language apps at the expense of actual teaching" and you can make custom courses to learn vocab that you yourself actually need (e.g. lists from courses you're taking), but i know memrise is trying to push a new version of their "official" courses which may end up being at the expense of "community" courses (custom lists) so idk how long that'll last, and anyway it's more of a supplement to learning elsewhere than a way to learn in and of itself, in my experience

[nashstudies]

Newcomer

In my language learning journey, which started with French long ago, I've found myself, like many others, being drawn to learning through gamification. People love Duolingo for this reason and I've used it for years myself. I did some reading up on it though and decided to try Babbel this time around.

ANYWAY, in my information superhighway travels, I came across Newcomer! It's an RPG that has translation and vocab building aspects. It unlocks words and phrases as you level up. You have a phrasebook for quick reference and a whole host of questions and statements to click through to interact with the NPCs. It's not like "game of the year" but it is entertaining enough to hold my attention. I don't even typically like RPGs so...give it a shot. It's $10 on Steam.

Bravo.

[tchaikovskaya]

have you actually learned anything meaningful from duolingo? im tempted to try it but i get the sense its so gamified that you actually learn and retain very little

it is what you want it to be. it's a game if you treat it that way. and there's nothing wrong with treating it that way. learning a language even at a super basic level takes effort and dedication, it's up to you to challenge yourself. duolingo can be a great tool for that, but it's just that, a tool. i used it to study czech, i had a notebook where i wrote down new vocab, grammar notes, and every exercise i got wrong and why. i also turned off the word bank (by default there are these little word tiles that you tap to enter an answer, which is good for recognizing the meaning of the words but bad for actively recalling them and terrible for learning grammar in context).

imho people ask way too much of duolingo or have very unrealistic expectations. just absentmindedly playing on an app for 10 minutes a day will not magically Teach you a language, you have to take the initiative to study the material. the gamification can be an extrinsic motivator but if you're just playing it as a game (again, if so, nothing wrong with that tbh) and concerned with xp and trophies and streaks and that's it, no you won't truly learn all that much.

[ayeforscotland]

hey! just a question since i happened across your anti-duolingo posts (no worries if you dont have an answer to this) --- ive been using it for german and irish (as a supplement to actual classes, w/ re gaeilge), and obviously the difference in quality between the two languages is massive, but there are so few helpful tools out there for practicing less spoken languages. i also use it to brush up on latin every now and then and their latin stuff is really appalling (but im less fussed about that than irish, for obvious reasons). all this to say it clearly sucks and id love to delete it out of solidarity w their workers and bc its obviously getting steadily worse, but i dont have anything to replace it with. do you have any ideas/suggestions/thoughts about other language learning resources out there that can sort of fill that gap?

At the end of the day if you want to stick with it, that's fine. I'm not going to hate anyone who just has the routine and likes the 'gamification' (Gamification can be fun, but feel like it can also be predatory at times but that's a whole other thing)

The thing that Duolingo has going for it is the 'glossiness' and accessibility. I just don't rate the quality of the language learning on it, and I'd recommend seeing if there's more local resources available from minority language speakers.

I can't give specific examples on Gaeilge but maybe someone who follows me might have an idea.

[coffeestainedcamera]

To any Genshin players contemplating Duolingo:

I'm not a hater out of elitism. Actually, I think that free language learning resources are wonderful! Back when Duolingo hadn't gone full AI and I was a high schooler on an allowance, it helped me with Spanish 101 ffs. Unfortunately, it seems that the priority is now more on the quirky ad budget and less on actually providing students with a quality learning resource that feels like a game.

Anyways, I'm on lingodeer for Spanish and Korean nowadays (but the app is paid). Bought a year's subscription during a winter sale for $80 USD. The grammar explainers are very clear and the app has limited gamification via streaks. Cake is more focused on speaking and has lots of video lectures. Also paid, got yearly sub on winter sale for $75.

If you're on Webtoon, the international build lets you swap languages without geoblocking (and the Spanish and French sections are pretty extensive, for anyone taking school classes in these). I've found it to be a fun reading practice that displaced my bad habit of social media before bedtime. You can also start an account on Kakao Page for webtoons in Korean. Only caveat is you'll be reading in a mobile browser bc the app isn't internationally distributed and I don't endorse installing from APK. Security issues for the device and I've previously been banned from online games bc this is technically a TOS violation apparently. Can't rec Naver Webtoon (the Korean build of Webtoon) in good conscience bc I found their account setup process too troublesome and quit.

You can take free Korean 101 classes from a public uni via King Sejong Institute's site at iksi.or.kr. I've been finding their explainers very straightforward. They offer both asynchronous and Zoom classes. If your fam has Netflix, also install the Language Reactor extension in chrome for bilingual subtitles and a hover-over dictionary. Start with slice-of-life shows bc they drop lots of useful vocab.

You can also browse around Coursera's language learning section bc yeah, you actually can take a free college class there. It's basically youtube for college classes, I suppose. Including Spanish ones from UC Davis.

This is specifically aimed at the schoolkids who play Genshin. I just think that y'all deserve better than an AI textbook with a genius social media marketing team.

[salvadorbonaparte]

I want to develop a language learning app that uses gamification but is also a lot more customisable because people are motivated by different things and want to focus on different things

[slugtranslation-hypmic]

Hi! Apologies for the sudden not-hypmic related question. I've recently picked up learning japanese and I was wondering if you could recommend some resources? There are so many and I'm not sure what's good and what's not... Thank you in advance!!

Hmm... I've made some comments on this in the past, but a conversation with an old coworker a couple years back (his argument being "I chose this program because the gamification will help me to stick with it and enjoy myself, even if it doesn't always teach me accurate things") has given me enough to think about that I'd like to change my answer to something... well, perhaps less cut and dry in terms of recommendation. But perhaps more helpful.

As you said, there are a myriad of options out there for learning Japanese from English, and it can be overwhelming to determine which to use, especially as they'll all try to sell you on whatever is the best or optimal way to learn.

But "best" is a subjective term dependent on how you learn and, more importantly, your learning goals. You will gain ability in whatever you study and practice, but this does not mean that your Japanese knowledge will be applicable in other areas. If your goals include being able to hold conversations in Japanese, then part of your practice should include talking out loud with Japanese speakers. If you'd like to be able to read manga in Japanese, then reading simple manga is an effective practice. If you want to be able to write work emails in Japanese, then taking business Japanese courses and writing practice emails are both smart ideas.

Your learning adventure can be as broad or narrow in scope and depth as you like, because it's yours! If you're interested in being able to conduct your whole life in Japanese, then you'll need to practice everything you already do in other languages in Japanese. Or, if you're interested in picking up a couple basics purely for fun, then an intro class or an app on your phone might be all you need to satisfy your goals.

In terms of determining if a program or learning tool is helpful for you, I find that Tofugu's reviews are usually detailed enough to be a good place to start.

[makers-muse]

CODING FOR KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

The world of coding can be scary, with obscure symbols and complicated logic. What if we told you it might be a creative and problem-solving playground for children with special needs? Intrigued? Buckle up, because we’re going to discover the thrilling world of adaptive coding strategies!

Here’s how coding transforms into an inclusive playground:

Block-based coding language: Scratch, Blockly, and Codemonkey Jr, these drag-and-drop interfaces make coding more visual and intuitive, which is ideal for children who struggle with traditional text-based coding. Imagine making colorful animations with just a few clicks!

Voice-activated coding: Speech recognition software allows children with physical restrictions to code using voice commands. This enables kids to contribute and express their creativity via code.

Gamification: Gamifying learning makes it more enjoyable and inspiring. RoboGarden, for example, turns coding into a game in which children solve puzzles and accomplish challenges, thus fostering problem-solving abilities in a fun way.

Physical computing: Makey Makey and Sphero robots are two examples of tools that help to connect the digital and physical realms. Coding becomes tangible and interesting for kids when they can program their robots to overcome difficulties or make their own musical instruments.

Multisensory learning: Multisensory learning environments are very beneficial for kids with special needs. Interactive coding exercises that combine visual, tactile, and audio components improve learning and memory. Through the combination of physical building and programming, interactive coding toys such as Botley the Coding Robot or LEGO Education SPIKE Prime offer a hands-on learning experience.

Several initiatives have successfully implemented adaptive learning techniques to teach coding to kids with special needs:

CoderDojo’s Autism Pilot Program: The international network of coding clubs CoderDojo has introduced a trial program, especially for kids with autism. Through the use of customized support, visual aids, and sensory breaks, the program established a warm and inviting atmosphere in which kids could flourish.

Tech Access: TeachAccess promotes accessible and inclusive design in technology-based learning. Their materials and training courses give teachers the skills and resources they need to design coding curricula that are accessible to learners of all skill levels.

Apple’s Everyone Can Code Curriculum: All students can benefit from inclusive and accessible coding instruction thanks to Apple’s curriculum, which includes activities and materials designed specifically for students with disabilities.

Remember: It’s all about finding the correct match! Investigate multiple coding platforms, try out new strategies, and celebrate little wins. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, so customize the learning experience for your child’s individual needs and interests.

Coding is more than just building snazzy websites or mobile apps. It is about developing problem-solving abilities, promoting creativity, and instilling confidence. By embracing adaptive learning methodologies, we can provide access to this exciting world for all children, empowering them to become future coders, inventors, and innovators.