Learning English with adventure games

What is an adventure game?

An adventure game is a kind of computer game which is similar to a movie. There is always a story and the main character (usually a person, such as a detective or a pirate). The difference is that you don't just watch — instead, you control the main character. You use your mouse or keyboard, and your character moves around in the game world, looks at things, picks them up, uses them, and talks to other characters. Your character also talks to you. For example, when you tell him to look at something, he will tell you what he sees. You can then use this information to decide what to do next.

Anyone who played an adventure game knows that they are great fun. But adventure games are also a great way to improve your English.

Why adventure games are good for your English

When you play an adventure game:

How to use adventure games?

When you're playing an adventure game, you learn some English even if you don't want to. But of course you can learn even more if you try.

One useful technique when playing an adventure game is very simple: use a dictionary. Pause the game frequently and look up new English words in a good dictionary for learners. You will understand more of the game, and of course you will learn some English vocabulary.

If you are really motivated to learn English, you can write down all the new words. Later, you can add these words to your SuperMemo collection so that you will remember them forever.

If you want to improve your pronunciation, pause the game frequently and try to repeat English sentences as well as you can. This is a great pronunciation exercise, and it's much more interesting than exercises in textbooks. Adventure games make it possible, because the pronunciation in those games is clearer than pronunciation in movies.

If you are especially interested in improving your understanding of spoken English, you can play the game without subtitles. In order to play, you will have to understand spoken language. At first, you will surely have problems, but you will become better and better. Notice that when using this technique, it will be difficult to look up words in a dictionary, because you will not see the words on the screen — you will only hear them.

Recommended adventure games

Which adventure game should you buy? The short answer is: Any game from LucasArts Entertainment. You will get an intelligent story (more intelligent than most Hollywood movies), incredible humor, beautiful graphics, stirring music, and voices of talented actors. LucasArts' adventure games create a true atmosphere. They take you to another world — a world that you don't want to leave...

Here are the latest adventure games by LucasArts Entertainment. They all have spoken dialogues, and you can also turn on subtitles.