The Migrant Trail Meets ESL Standards

 

The Migrant Trail is a fun, addicting, and educational ESL game. I played this game three times through with every character trying to get them all across the desert to their final destination. I was close once but I had to leave Diego behind with only seven miles to go. 

As previously mentioned, I found this game to be a lot of fun and pretty challenging. These are excellent qualities to have in a game. It grabs the students' attention and makes them want to try "just one more time" about twenty more times. The best part is that it IS educational. Having played it so many times I believe that it helps to satisfy ESL Standard I.5-8.1 which states, "[s]tudents will listen, speak, read, and write in English for information and understanding."

The Migrant Trail meets this standard because students will be able to learn vocabulary that they can use for their personal use. At the beginning of the game you choose a character to play with and then are taken to a shop where you buy supplies for the journey. Here, a student is able to learn words for items of clothing, food, and dollar amounts. These are all parts of English that a person would need in their day to day lives. As the game progresses, the immigrants are faced with various challenges from being bitten by a scorpion, to having a blister, to having heat stroke. While these may not be quite as common, this is still excellent terminology relating to health that could be useful for an ESL student to learn and understand.

After having students play this game I would have them get into groups and tell them that they are being sent to a deserted island and they have $150 to spend. I would then write an inventory on the whiteboard with a list of items and their prices and have them discuss together what they would purchase to take with them and why. After re-grouping as a class. Each group would have an opportunity to share with the class what they would purchase to take along with them and why.

Gamification and Language Learning

 

  Gamification is the usage of games in non game-like settings or contexts in order to engage students (in this case) in learning. According to "Technology - 'Just' Playing Games? A Look at the Use of Digital Games for Language Learning" there are five main components that make up a successful game. These include: goals, interaction, feedback, context, and motivation. As mentioned in the article, goals are best described as "goal orientation" due to the dynamic, ongoing, and continually negotiated process of task completion. Interaction is a component that can take place in numerous ways. It depends on the type of game, how other game is being used, and the players. Feedback is important so that learners is always aware of his or her abilities. Context according to the article is created and authenticated by both the game narrative and context of play. Motivation is usually considered one of the biggest reasons that digital games are used in the classroom.

     Another way of explaining what makes a game successful is discussed in the article "Sculpting Flow and Fiero" written by Zac Hill. Hill believes that solid game design includes two main factors: flow and fiero. Flow is the concept of "being in the zone." This is when the player is having fun. Fiero on the other hand is described as the feeling one gets when they have conquered or overcome something like a quest or a difficult level.

I think that it is a great idea to use digital language games in the classroom. Not only does it help students to learn, they are able to do so in a fun and motivational way. There are also benefits to using digital games that one may not be able to receive with traditional classroom instruction. According to "Games and Learning"  Games can be highly motivational  and engaging for students. They also have the ability to how that learning can be measured by more than just grades. Using games in the classroom is also an excellent way to build collaborative skills.

In the future, I will definitely use games in my ESL classroom as a way to promote motivational and engaging learning in a fun environment.