Discussion Groups / ESL Teaching / July 2007

Dear misc.education.language.english readers:

I've just developed the following three programs and you can download them
for free (see bottom of page for URL).

The MemSolitaire Program

  Most people are familiar with the solitaire game having seven stacks and
a deck to deal from,

  but this game is fun with a purpose:  as you bring up the ace, two,
three, etc. to the tops of the stacks,

  instead of just making four ace stacks, you must place each card on its
matching word in French.

  If you are wrong, the card flies back to where you dragged it from.  If
correct, it "sticks" and allows

  subsequent cards to be played.

MemJigsaw Program

  Memorize vocabulary words (or any other definitions) while you do a
jigsaw puzzle.

  Just drag and drop the pieces and when you get a correct match, they
click and stay

  together. Load new word sets anytime during the game.

The MemChess Program

  Many people are familiar with the game of chess.  Here is a computer
chess game that allows

  you to learn some vocabulary words while you have the fun of trying to
beat your computer

  opponent. It has the same rules as chess, but with a twist:  if you know
the matching word

  under any of the extra white pawns, you can place that pawn on the
matching French word

  on the chessboard.  It gives you a nice edge when playing against the
computer and involves

  some extra placement strategy.  Just drag it to the correct word and
you've enlisted a new

  pawn in your army. Load new word sets anytime during the game. Note: this
beta version does

  not have castling or or en passant yet.  It is easy to beat and intended
for fun and

  learning, not serious chess.

http://home.earthlink.net/~joel_a_clark/mem_solitaire.html

(When you get there, go to the bottom of the page for links to the other two
games.)

These kind of emerged out my efforts to learn programming and lately to help
my granddaughter learn a bit of French.

Regards,

Joel