Video Games and Learning English

As we all know, the fallacy that playing games interferes student's school lives and their success has been going around for years. However; as the educational sides of video games have been realized, this viewpoint has changed. If you ask me, I think that video games can be very useful and advantageous for learning English. Clearly, there are games that are just created to teach English but at the same time there are games created for entertainment too. With their big budgets, some games can even reach the quality of a big movie. So, one shouldn't underestimate the efficiency of video games. When I play video games,  I always watch out for their spesific vocabulary according to the kind of game that I play and I try not to miss any word while I put my headphones on. This helped me enlargen my vocabulary and iprove my listening skills. 

All together, online video games are much popular these days and what is important is that online games connects group of people around the world and help them interact with each other. As English is regarded as ''the common language'' of the world, these people speak in English when they play with each other. This is one of the situations that shows how video games are that effective and they are not necessarily a waste of time.

Virtual Reality In Language Courses

Virtual Reality (VR) is the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment. Unlike traditional user interfaces, VR places the user inside an experience. Instead of viewing a screen in front of them, users are immersed and able to interact with 3D worlds. By simulating as many senses as possible, such as vision, hearing, touch, even smell, the computer is transformed into a gatekeeper to this artificial world. The only limits to near-real VR experiences are the availability of content and cheap computing power. 


Virtual reality took its beginning in the entertainment area, but over time it got the practical use too. And education did not stand aloof. The main goal of Virtual Reality in education is to make studying process exciting and more effective. VR simulations provide a deep understanding of the material by a learner with its further application in real life. The fact that the brain tends to remember %10 of what it reads, %20 of what it hears and %90 of what it does or stimulates means that VR technology can actually be very effective and helpful both for students and for teachers in education. 

For example; VR can be used while teaching vocabulary and it  would be so easy and fun as well. Maybe the equipments of VR can be a little expensive, but still students utilize cheaper ones as an alternative. To sum up, VR is definitely a great way to make students and teachers more effective when it's used in education( language courses ). 

Animoto

Through Animoto, you can create videos within minutes. You can combine photos and videos with texts to make a video on whatever topic you would like. It is very useful when you are presenting a topic to class as a student or motivate your students and teach something as a teacher.

Here is my video that I created on most popular kinds of flowers using Animoto 😊.

Quizlet

Quizlet is a mobile and web-based study application that allows students to study information via learning games and tools. It is really fun to use and it can help both students and teachers. It has got a user-friendly interface that you can easily get used to.

I have prepared a quizlet on classroom items, but I wasn't able to add more than 8 items because the site wants premium subscription for more. You can see it through this link 😊.

Canva

What is Canva? Canva is a tool loaded with enough easy-to-use features and functionality that anyone can create a variety of engaging content that gets shared. Canva really offers a variety of content types. From pre-sized social media image and header templates to marketing materials, documents, presentations, invitations and ads, you’ll find almost everything you need. If you don’t, you can always create a custom project.

I made a basic presentation on Broca's and Wernicke's aphasia. Here is the link if you want to see 😊.

Voki

Voki is an educational tool that allows users to create their very own talking character. Voki is created by Oddcast and is located in New York City.

Voki characters can be customized to look like historical figures, cartoons, animals, and even yourself! Give your Voki a voice by recording with a microphone, using our dial-in number, or uploading an audio file. Voki characters can be emailed, shared on social media, and embedded on websites!

I have created my own Voki character. Here is the link if you want to check it 😊.

ThingLink

What is ThingLink?
ThingLink is a free and user friendly digital tool that provides users with the ability to turn any image into an interactive graphic. You can create multiple ''hot spots'' on spesific parts of an image and turn that image into a multimedia launcher. You can include video,record audio or provide a link to any website with the click of a button. You can also easily embed an interactive ThingLink graphic into any blog or website. ThingLink is a literally amazing tool that allows its users to pack a lot of content into a small place. 
I have created an interactive graphic using ''ThingLink'' on the movie Avengers: End Game.
Click here to see it 😊.

Second Life

Second Life is an online virtual world where players create their avatars and interact with places, objects and other people as well. This game can create big opportunities for teachers when it is used as a tool for teaching. Our instructor Tuncer CAN and his team have made a great contribution with their work to this area. You can look it up if you are interested in this kind of stuff.
Here's a screenshot of me when I was in the game.

Mindmeister

What is Mindmeister?
Mindmeister is an online mind mapping application that allows its users to visualize, share and present their thoughts. It can be very uuseful for both young learners with vocabulary and advanced level learners with their confusing grammar topics.
I prepared a simple mind map for components of language. Here it is if you want to check it out 😊.

Kahoot

 Kahoot is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages! It is a tool for using technology to administer quizzes, discussions or surveys. It can be played by the whole class in real time. Multiple-choice questions are projected on the screen and students answer the questions by using their smartphones, tablets or computers. 

I made a little public quiz, here is the link 😊.

Udemy & My Certificate

Udemy is an online learning platform. The website lets the users create their courses. I joined a course and I was able to get a certificate from that course.
Here is the link to Udemy.
And here is my certificate

Powtoon

Hi everyone :)  PowToon is Web-based animation software that allows you to quickly and easily create animated presentations with your students by manipulating pre-created objects, imported images, provided music and user created voice-overs. PowToon is used by businesses to create engaging, creative presentations that capture attention, and can be similarly used for educational assessment and content delivery. There is a free version available, as well as paid subscription that allows for more features.. 
 I have prepared a powtoon presentation on '' English Modals''. Please click the link if you want to see it 😊.