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DS gives a helping hand with English lessons |
Japanese students at Tokyo's Joshi Gakuen all-girls junior high school have been using DS handhelds for the classroom, but they're not playing Cooking Mama or the latest Mario Bros game.
The girls are in fact are using them to study English. Junior high school teacher Motoko Okubo has used the handheld DS and textbook software since May in weekly sessions focusing on vocabulary, penmanship and audio comprehension. So far, the response has been very positive and students seem to be concentrating and having fun. At some selected schools throughout Japan, the DS console and stylus are employed in Maths and Japanese classes as well. Nintendo says the number of schools with consoles is still small, but the DS's touch screen and mix of advanced and easy-to-learn games, including 200 licensed education titles, has been a cash cow as more women and older consumers try it. Global DS sales since launching in 2004 exceed 70 million units, yet it is still not universally accepted. The handheld system is incredibly popular in the country and many students have one they enjoy using to play games on a regular basis. DS provides an easy interface, combining with a fun element but also learning at the same time. On a personal note, I wonder whether Nintendo will bring a DS game for those who wish to study Japanese. The Sonomama DS is an excellent resource for those who require a Kanji Dictionary (and cheaper than the standard electronic handheld dictionaries available). Image: A seventh-grader at the all-girls Tokyo Joshi Gakuen, writes an Alphabet on screen of Nintendo DS game console during an English class in Tokyo, Thursday, June 26, 2008. The Nintendo DS isn't just fun and games anymore as the portable video game machine gets used as a key tool in an English class at the Japanese junior high school. |
