Taipei Roleplayers
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Gaming & Education

Summer 1993

Volume 1, Number 3

Edited by David Millians
Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307
Internet: dragon@netcom.com

COMMUNICATIONS

David,

I would like to find a way to add RPGs to the English curriculum I intend on publishing. First, I should say that my RPG experience is limited to D&D. I am convinced that that RPGs can be used to good effect in the language classroom (do you know of any "formal studies" that have been conducted on this subject?). I feel that properly designed and presented at the right stages, RPGs could foster intrinsic motivation for learning that would far exceed any form of extrinsic motivation one could think up (i.e. grades, stars, awards, money, praise, etc.).

For the last 13 years I've been in Asia mostly teaching English. About half my time is spent teaching adults in large classrooms and the other half teaching children in small groups. Currently I am writing teaching materials for both adults and children.

For my purposes, the ideal RPG for teaching English to students with a vocabulary of about 750 words and who have just begun to use English to communicate would have the following characteristics:

1.Language used in the game would build on grammar and vocabulary taught (directions for the game would be in Chinese). I recognize that at the outset, this would put several restrictions on the design of the game. Naturally as a child's vocabulary grew, the scope of the game could also grow. A game might then grow progressively more difficult as the children were exposed to new vocabulary and grammatical structures in class.

2.A set of readers (and pictures) should accompany the game so that the students would have an outside source of input for learning new words and communicative strategies (making requests, for example).

3.The game would probably have more appeal to parents if it were non-violent. However, there definitely should be some element of conflict or adventure.

4.The game would have to be up front about its "values" and as much as possible embody values that most parents could agree with.

5.The game needs to be played in 45 or 75 minute segments. This would allow time to cover homework in classes of either an hour or 90 minutes respectively.

6.Allowances should be made to incorporate speech (as recorded on a CD) into the game. Because the students are learning English, it would be very appropriate to add listening comprehension exercises to the game in a variety of different guises.

7.The game would have to be fun.

8.The game would be designed for classes as small as two students and as large as five students.

9.The game would ideally form the basis for a computer game.

I would be interested in whether you think a project based on the outline above is feasible.

Sincerely,
Michael A. Butler
c/o Bridge Printing Co.
=46u Hsing South Road, Section 2
#164, 6/Fl.
Taipei, Taiwan

Email Brian David Phillips at phillips@nccu.edu.tw.

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