It's pouring out, but you still want to explore! What in the world is an inquisitive mind like yours to do?! Well, even if you're not an avid gamer, video games can offer myriad opportunities for learning, enrichment, reflex training — even for things you wouldn't expect, like language acquisition!

 

For English speakers learning Japanese or Japanese speakers learning English especially, a vast library of many retro and modern games exist offering localization in both languages! More contemporary titles offer localization options in a wide array of languages outside of those two, as well. One may have a perception of video games as geared toward a certain audience, whether that be teenagers or young children — but this is only part of what they can offer! Games have long been, and are today, a medium capable of telling gritty and emotional tales for adults just as well as the Home Box Office or the silver screen. However — just as important — they also offer storylines equally as gripping for young people, in formats both appropriate and accessible for them!

 

These things afford us as language learners a great many tools to enhance our learning experience! It can be exhilarating to dive fresh into a new story aimed at a younger audience, and see how much you understand in the language you're learning — challenge yourself to avoid using dictionaries, or find one in the language you're learning to keep yourself on your toes. Or: pick a game you love, and know by heart, and play it in a new language — chances are you know what happens, and you'll be able to contextualize new words, idioms, and phrases within the framework of a story you're already familiar with!