Language Games

- Get Your Own

I would recommend a hybrid course called "French media" to introduce the Sims 2 at the college level. I suspect working with the Sims 2 at the high school level is doable but I don't know. Why such a hybrid course?

Students need to have an interest in computers and games, the Internet, software, programs, etc. If a student does not know how to use his/her computer pretty well, this student will need to learn very quickly to keep up with the rest of the class. In brief, one needs to be fairly evolved technologically to play with Sims 2. Later in the Semester students are asked to make a movie of their characters, which is not much but enough to throw a more traditional student off.

Students need to have an interest in film making then as well as creative writing. It is not easy to be either! Students can learn how to use their camera on the game and write better using the writing tools their professor empower them with during the semester. See the hybrid course www.mylenejcatel.com and game based 103 class at www.profcatel.com.

In a conversation class, sims 2 can be used to role-play. This is something we are used to doing as teachers. There are many characters that are on the game which can serve us. There also are set characters we can use: shrink/psychologist, the bunny, Death, etc. Because sims do not speak any language but "simlich" it is up to us to interprete the icons they form in their heads and have in their dreams. Students can write a script and act it out together.

In my composition class, I asked them to write about a sims' dream interpreting the icons. Also, in that same class, I asked them to write a sim monologue. For more details about those assignments, look below.

Sims interact with other people, themselves, animals, and objects.

They act, they form thoughts about them. The mirror is a good way to start. A mirror can be used to change a sim's appearance, to dress up or change clothes, to train oneself at speaking, or seducing...If I am a teacher, I will look for that assignment, write a sim monologue where your sim trains himself/herself at speaking/seducing. Find the right style/tone..