Games like Everquest (never rest) and Wow or World of Warcraft are actually not bad modes for learning a language. In these RPG games, you are sucked into countless hours of vivid imaginary role playing. In World of Warcraft you can join bilingual guilds and play on international severs. In World of war-craft you have team speak, actually voice communication not just chat. You talk to other players about your quests etc. The thing about geeky online gamers is they are actually pretty nice and have no pretenses, so when you try to communicate they understand that gaming is an international community. I think it would be hard, at least for me to learn a language by simply playing these games, because you will be too absorbed into the quests etc. Therefore, you could be more thinking of your gold and flexing your muscles in battle then flexing your language skills. World of Warcraft even has a Learn a language quest, but its pretty easy. What you might want to do is study your target language up to a point, then test out your skills in a bilingual guild. Most people say the least they pick up is slang, but many get to practice their target language and use it as a www.languagesocial.com social network for language learning.

I had a brain lesion about 16 years ago.  The word lesion is really a general medical jargon word.  What I had was basically bleeding in the brain from capillary telangiectasia or a cavernous malformation. The result was I had memory and brain processing problems. I still functioned at a rather high cognitive level, however, in addition to horrible daily pain, I had trouble with my working memory and other things. The cause of this brain lesion was never known, but I suspect it was something like a birthmark, something incidental that became symptomatic though a series of of events. The lesion was serious because of it was located in my brain.

Brain rehabilitation

I followed a standard rehabilitation of my memory, working at a local university that did studies on brain lesions and brain rehabilitation. These were cognitive drills and exercises with students who studied my progress. These helped, and were precise and targeted; however, I made a huge breakthrough when I started to play computer games. The real world was too complex for me, at that juncture. Too many variables. However, computer games were a place I could do similar cognitive drills like I did at the university, however, on the computer in the santuary of my flat.

Brain rehabilitation software

Actually I first I started with software that was specific to memory improvement and brain rehabilitation. But latter I realized that the brain functions as a whole. When I started to play complex games, even which could be said to focus on other specific skills than I needed, my brain was stimulated. My brain improved as a whole. Thus was the start of the ’computer game obsession time’ in my life. I played everything until the wee hours of the morning, from memory and puzzle games, to quick reflex and strategy games. I remember when I beat the game Civilization at the highest level, something that few people can do, I felt I could conquer the world and my brain rehabilitation was over.

Computer games and my brain

Computer games and computers are wonderful tools for your brain to interact with. Computer games are eons more complex and stimulating, than the simple rehabilitation lessons I had at the University, minus the pretty students testing me. The designers of computer games designed the games to be plugged into the pleasure centers of your brain.

My testament to the benefit of computer games on your brain

I am convinced anyone can change and improve their brain, whether you have had a brain lesion or not. The brain by design is malleable. I do not have to read a study about it out wait until some PhD or expert tells me so, I have experienced it for myself.

From computer games to language learning software

After my conquest of computer games as manifest by my repeated victories on the game Civilization and other similar games, I moved to more normal and perhaps useful pursuits for brain stimulation like learning languages. It was from my progress with computer games, I  got inspiration to create a computer software program for learning languages. Instead of sitting in a classroom or reading a book, you could interact in a multimedia computer format and learn languages.

Brain lesion

I am no expert on brain lesions, however, if anyone is in a similar situation, you can write me and I can tell you what helped for me. Now I am fine, perhaps better than I ever have been. Thank God.

If you liked playing with blocks when you were a child, you are in luck, chances are your linguistic ability was improved.

A University of Washington, Seattle study has shown that language skill in children who played with blocks, were 15% higher than those who did not. This is actually a fairly large difference. In you equate this with the difference between a C or an A in school. The children studies were between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2.

How unstructured play with blocks helps language learning

If children play with blocks in an unstructured way all kind of skills are strengthened, from organizational to memory to spatial relationships, and some of these skill are connected with languages. At this critical age the child’s brains is growing and this type of stimulation is very beneficial as well as very innocent. You do not have to send your child to a baby Einstein camp, or the latest and greatest commercial thing that claims to make your child a genius, you can just give him some blocks and let him enjoy. I think this combined with classical music and a good diet, and lots of love will hopefully give you a happy child, which is the most important.  Better than a baby Einstein is a happy well rounded child. But if he or she is enjoys languages all the better, you will have someone to talk to when they grow up.

Electronic Arts has announced that its casual game portal subsidiary Pogo is moving rapidly to expand across Europe, with a new German language service, new reward services for UK users, and a French language version expected in the coming months.

As of today, European casual gamers can log on to Pogo to play the developer’s selection of single and multiplayer puzzle, word, casino, card, and board games for their respective regions.

UK players also now have the option to participate in reward programs to win real world prizes including MP3 players and vouchers from the online games.

A French language version of Pogo has been slated to appear in a matter of months, according to EA’s press release. by Brandon Boyer

Certainly not the primary way to learn a language but I myself use gaming servers in various language and you do pick up words.