Gaming | News
Kaplan Game App Teaches Students English
Kaplan International Colleges has unveiled free iOS and Android apps designed to help students learn the English language by playing a game. English Train is available now in the Apple App Store and Google Play store.
English Train, designed for both children and English-as-a-second-language students, challenges users to memorize where items are located in a train car, and then match the item with the correct location before arriving at the next train station. English Train is based on the British rail system.
At the beginning of each level, the items to be memorized are briefly revealed on train seats. Those images then go away, and in their places are images of folded newspapers. Then, four passengers walk onto the train. The student then clicks on each person, who will reveal the name of one of the items. Next, the student clicks on a newspaper image, and it is revealed whether the student is correct or incorrect. If he or she is correct, the newspaper unfolds with an image of the item that was memorized. If the student is incorrect, an X pops up.
Other features of English Train include:
- Facebook and Twitter integration, which allows users to share game results on Facebook and let Twitter followers know they are playing the game. A leaderboard also lets users compare game results by today, this week, and all time;
- The choice of three vocabulary categories, including animals, food and drink, and technology;
- Option of easy, medium, or hard difficulty; and
- Showing of corrections after each level.
English Train is compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, and requires iOS 4.3 and up. It is also compatible with Android devices.
A pro version of English Train is available for 99 cents.
For more information, visit kaplaninternational.com.
About the Author
Tim Sohn is a 10-year veteran of the news business, having served in capacities from reporter to editor-in-chief of a variety of publications including Web sites, daily and weekly newspapers, consumer and trade magazines, and wire services. He can be reached at timothyjsohn@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @editortim.