This was cool … I loved the language lesson! Have you already planned to do audio pronunciations for the next pass? I think it would really add to the value of your story as a lesson. I also like the bits of history you threw in here and there … like when you talked about visiting Veraval. As far as I am concerned the more of this type of information you put in the better – it’s the stuff I really like. A few times you describe a “romantic” city or the “pink” city. It would be nice if you added why they are described that way.
I think some of the photos you added were perfect! The first one, demonstrating “Namaste” was so good you could probably eliminate the verbal description you included in the second pass. I wasn’t really sure how the second photo fit in … but every single other photo/visual was great. I know you have tons of great photos … but I would have loved to have seen even more and heard even more of the history. You did such a nice job with “promoting” the sites on your trip … I would love to visit them also!
Language instruction seems to be one of the most difficult forms of instruction I know of. Your idea of building a story around the instruction helps to immerse the reader in the context. I wonder if in pass 4 you might be able to provide some basic language lessons and then allow the reader to take control of Alistar to enter different scenarios to practice what was just learned. It would seem that the more you are able to allow the reader to be immersed in Alistar’s experience, the better the story will be. Have you used the Rosetta Stone software, which is based on an immersive design? I’ve also heard good things about chinesepod.com. I understand it too offers immersion potential. This sort of instruction would seem to lend itself very nicely to both narrative for introduction to material and games for practice.
Alpesh, I like how you have mingled the language lesson with the story of Alistar. I could not help but feel the frustration that he must be feeling, being engulfed in the culture with his limited knowledge of the languages being spoken. I think this is good because most readers can sympathize with being in that situation. I also enjoy the language information presented in your story, one could read your story and really feel as if he/she had learned something! I look forward to the future passes.
Darren
As a language buff, I really enjoyed reading your story. I have to admit that non-Roman languages intimidate be a bit, if just because I have to learn a new alphabet—both drawing and reading—in addition to new words and grammar patterns. It’s always neat for me to take a look at the systems that people use to communicate.
I was thinking, as I thought about options for passes three and four: can you find audio clips to embed? It may not be for all of the words or characters, but maybe for a few. Also, what about finding video language lessons to embed as well, maybe on Youtube?
For pass four… We didn’t talk that much about our respective tech skills when we were working together, but could you maybe work up a simple grammar lesson and game to help immerse us in the story? Maybe just a few words, with audio pronunciations, and a quick activity of some sort at the end?
This was cool … I loved the language lesson! Have you already planned to do audio pronunciations for the next pass? I think it would really add to the value of your story as a lesson. I also like the bits of history you threw in here and there … like when you talked about visiting Veraval. As far as I am concerned the more of this type of information you put in the better – it’s the stuff I really like. A few times you describe a “romantic” city or the “pink” city. It would be nice if you added why they are described that way.
I think some of the photos you added were perfect! The first one, demonstrating “Namaste” was so good you could probably eliminate the verbal description you included in the second pass. I wasn’t really sure how the second photo fit in … but every single other photo/visual was great. I know you have tons of great photos … but I would have loved to have seen even more and heard even more of the history. You did such a nice job with “promoting” the sites on your trip … I would love to visit them also!
Language instruction seems to be one of the most difficult forms of instruction I know of. Your idea of building a story around the instruction helps to immerse the reader in the context. I wonder if in pass 4 you might be able to provide some basic language lessons and then allow the reader to take control of Alistar to enter different scenarios to practice what was just learned. It would seem that the more you are able to allow the reader to be immersed in Alistar’s experience, the better the story will be. Have you used the Rosetta Stone software, which is based on an immersive design? I’ve also heard good things about chinesepod.com. I understand it too offers immersion potential. This sort of instruction would seem to lend itself very nicely to both narrative for introduction to material and games for practice.
Alpesh, I like how you have mingled the language lesson with the story of Alistar. I could not help but feel the frustration that he must be feeling, being engulfed in the culture with his limited knowledge of the languages being spoken. I think this is good because most readers can sympathize with being in that situation. I also enjoy the language information presented in your story, one could read your story and really feel as if he/she had learned something! I look forward to the future passes.
Darren
As a language buff, I really enjoyed reading your story. I have to admit that non-Roman languages intimidate be a bit, if just because I have to learn a new alphabet—both drawing and reading—in addition to new words and grammar patterns. It’s always neat for me to take a look at the systems that people use to communicate.
I was thinking, as I thought about options for passes three and four: can you find audio clips to embed? It may not be for all of the words or characters, but maybe for a few. Also, what about finding video language lessons to embed as well, maybe on Youtube?
For pass four… We didn’t talk that much about our respective tech skills when we were working together, but could you maybe work up a simple grammar lesson and game to help immerse us in the story? Maybe just a few words, with audio pronunciations, and a quick activity of some sort at the end?