Improve English: Word Games

With the widespread and increased use of digital and online tools to facilitate learning, specifically language learning, there are mobile applications suitable for all needs and levels of proficiency. As reviewed in this paper, Improve English: Word Games developed by knudge.me is among the
top-rated apps that is oriented towards vocabulary building with an eye to the reading and writing skills. This application is essentially based on scientific algorithms and gamification, incorporating
micro-learning, spacing effect, and adaptive intelligence to satisfy the needs of modern-day learners. This review paper offers a descriptive account of the app, along with critical evaluation including its strong points and limitations. The review concludes with several suggestions to improve the educational quality of the app.

1. Introduction

In an era where technology has influenced almost all aspects of human life, it would be hard to imagine that education is the one aspect that can remain unaffected. Digital tools have a promising role in education, especially language education (Motteram,2013). With the invention of new generations of ubiquitous digital tools, namely laptops, tablets, smart phones, access to a range of technologies has become possible in the blink of an eye and, therefore, learning seems to no longer be limited to often insufficient class time. Zhou, Yu, Liaoand Shi, (2017) note that “the increasing spread of mobile technologies provides educators and developers with more opportunities for creating a wider range of education tools” (p.266).Since electronic devices seem to be omnipresent in all settings, a smart teacher will never deny the value of dedicating some class time to these technologies.According to Jones (2011), mobile-learning(often referred to as “m-learning”) is not a new phenomenon but the incredible capabilities of new smart phones have raised language educators’ interest dramatically. Among the plethora of iPhone and Android mobile applications, there are ones that assist language learning.

With the emergence of portable digital devices, playing games on such platforms has also gained immense popularity. As Prensky (2007) notes, there are twelve characteristics that make games engaging for a large number of people. Games are a form of “fun” and play, which bring us enjoyment and intense involvement. They also have rules and goals, which give us structure and motivation. What seems to be another salient feature of games is that they have outcomes and feedback, which, in turn, facilitate learning.

A recent innovation in the field is Improve English: Word Games created by a company under the name Knudge.me. This app is created based on scientific algorithms and it assists users in improving English in an easy and interesting way. Current courses incorporated in this app are designed to improve vocabulary, English idioms, phrasal verbs, homonyms/homophones, and common confusing English words, all of which play a vital role in language learning. What is more, the inclusion of a range of games like Words Checker, Reader’s Digest, Jelly Fizz, Sea Voyage, Mix and Match contribute to the improvement of users’ reading skills,while other games such as Panda’s Trail, Fly High, Space Pursuit, and Echo aim at improving users’ writing skills. These innovative games are designed to further assist learning in a fun and interesting way. The approach adopted by Improve English: Word Games supports research findings by advocating the fact that short, intensive sessions lead to more effective learning as opposed to long, overwhelming ones which put a heavy burden on learners’ memory.

This app is designed based on how the human brain works. Studies have suggested that micro-learning, that is,short sessions of learning distributed over a lengthy period, is more likely to result in learning, retention, and application of a given item than a focused day-long session. Research findings also assert that learning is more effective when studying is spread over multiple sessions rather than one single session with the same amount of time. This phenomenon, known as spacing effect, minimizes the chances of forgetting a word with the help of repetitions at regular breaks. Moreover, the methods and the speed of instruction in this app cater for users with different abilities and learning styles and that is how this app guarantees quite satisfying academic outcomes. 

2. Description

This app can be installed on Android devices. There are different sign-in options to choose from, such as using Gmail or Facebook accounts. The following is the list of the different courses encompassed in the app (Figures 1):

A.     Vocabulary builder- Easy: This section allows you access to a wordlist selected by experts. You will be exposed to words used in a single sentence context and their definitions.

B.     Vocabulary builder-Intermediate: This wordlist includes over 200 words with their definitions, synonyms/antonyms, memory tips, and infographics which facilitate vocabulary learning.

C.     Vocabulary builder-Advanced: Definitions, example sentences, synonyms/antonyms in this wordlist will help you to further increase your command of English vocabulary and prepare you for high stakes exams like TOEFL and IELTS.

D.     English Idioms: Aiming to improve performance in conversation, this course helps you learn around 250 idioms common in everyday speech.

E.      Phrasal verbs: This course helps you improve English by learning to comprehend and produce more than 200 phrasal verbs.

F.      Common confusing words: This course helps you avoid common mistakes by familiarizing you with more than 200 confusing words, homophones and homonyms.

Upon selecting a course, you will enter the setting and in the notification frequency you will be asked “how many bite-sized cards you want to receive per day?” for which you can choose up to 12 cards (Figure 2). Afterwards, upon clicking on START, this message will most probably pop up “We have unlocked some cards to get you started”, in which case clicking on UNLOCKED CARDS is the next step.

By clicking on Home on the bar at the top of the screen, you can see the credits and unread notifications. There is a short tour in the Unread Notifications section which guides users through the app. Also, there is a timer that counts down to the next card to be unlocked and at the bottom, there is a game training section (Figure 3).

By clicking on the second tab on the bar, you can access My Course through which you can track your progress, have a personalized revision test which helps earn more knowledge credits, and assess what has been learned so far. Each correct response awards you 1 credit point. Another feature is that you can refer your friends and earn 25 credits when they sign up. Furthermore, you can see the success rate both Today’s and Overall. The settings can be adjusted at the bottom of the page anytime. The third tab welcomes you to fun vocabulary games for improving reading and writing skills (Figures 4 and 5).

Reading

Words Checker: You have only 40 seconds to match the words with their meaning and each wrong match costs you
1 second. In order to win the game,you have the learner has to match all the words with their appropriate definitions. The goal of this game is to expand your English vocabulary (Figure 6).

Reader’s Digest: You have to read the passage as fast as possible and answer the questions that follow. You only have 2 lives to win the game. This type of game promotes fast reading (Figure 7).

Jelly Fizz: Playing this game helps improve speaking skills through learning phrasal verbs in an innovative way. It is available for pro users.

Mix and match: A fun vocabulary game that helps improve reading skills in a new way. Like the previous game, it is only available for pro users.

Writing

Fly High: You have to fly a hot air balloon and the only way to keep it up in the sky is by choosing the correct matching word. The higher the balloon, the higher your score (Figure 8).

Space Pursuit: There are sentences to complete by selecting the right choice with only three lives to get through. You have to answer as fast as possible to achieve a higher score (Figure 9).

Echo: This is a fancy dictation game for the modern age. Learners have to listen carefully and type the correct spelling of a word. They have 3 lives to get through and only get 2 hints. They should answer as fast as possible to score higher. This game helps improve both writing and listening skills (Figure 10).

After finishing each game you’ll get a report card which provides you with the correct responses and the justification (Figure 11).

3. Evaluation

This app is a science-based learning platform that helps vocabulary retention and builds long-term memory. It is a quite innovative app, with an appealing interface that employs colorful layouts, which makes learning a new language for the learners in this modern era a more enjoyable task. The use of eye-catching infographics not only simplifies complex content but engages distracted learners to a greater extent.

The incorporation of timed games is another great feature of this application that accelerates linguistic reflexes over time. It also makes use of the spacing effect, through which learning is greater when studying is spread out over time. Users are tested on the same lexical item multiple times over a long period until the item in question is considered “mastered by you”. What is more, it presents vocabulary in context and provides audio files to check the correct pronunciation. In the spelling section, words are pronounced in both the British and American accents, which is another educational benefit and could also help with the listening skill.

The rather hard task of effectively revising vocabulary is made easier through handy flashcards. Needless to say, the on-the-go lessons are very convenient for those with hectic lifestyles who want to make use of every minute possible anywhere and anytime. That this application utilizes adaptive intelligence (the intersection of human judgment and machine automation) is quite practical in that by the provision of tailored, personalized learning, it helps the users advance towards their language learning goals. This, combined with the spacing effect, enhances and boosts vocabulary retention. The app sends the user appropriate content, sometimes through push notifications, with words categorized as Mastered, In Progress, or Pending. There are also quizzes which, over a long time span, contribute to the consolidation of lexical knowledge and, in turn, its better retention (Figure 12).

Despite the merits this application has, there are some weaknesses that hinders it from being the app for vocabulary learning. First and foremost, it would be even more educational and inclusive had it included other classes of lexical items, namely collocations, prepositions, and discourse markers. The app, moreover, is slightly difficult to navigate through, specifically for those learners who are not tech-savvy. The absence of a wider variety of games that can cater for different learning styles is another shortage this application has. It would also benefit from the possibility of user-curated content as teachers and educators could use this feature to increase learners’ engagement and motivation.

4. Conclusion

Applying microlearning to language acquisition through mobile applications enables users to segment their mastering a language into small learning units and short-term learning activities. Improve English: Word Games is developed to “help people improve their English leveraging AI [Artificial Intelligence] and gamification.” The idea of having one’s learning process chunked into several more achievable steps seems to be more appealing to Learners. It also facilitates what educators need to have their students accomplish in terms of pace, time, convenience, and achievability. It is geared to low-intermediate, intermediate, and high-intermediate learners of English, and considering its fun, interactive interface, could be of great help for the younger demographic, especially high school students. The concept of gamification-based learning along with the scientific approach this app has adopted could ensure a highly facilitative medium for such learners to learn English. Moreover, the bite-sized lessons are convenient and time-saving for busy learners of English.

Although it seems to be a great app for improving some aspects of vocabulary, it still needs some additions and modifications to enhance the quality and experience of vocabulary learning. As suggested above, adding other classifications of vocabulary as well as a broader range of games which can meet the needs of learners with different learning styles would boost its effectiveness. The app could also benefit from streamlining its user interface and, in turn, appeal to a wider user demographic.

With a high 4.7 score on Google Play and thousands of five-star reviews, Improve English: Word Games offers a fun, interactive way to its users to excel in English. Through its notification based micro-learning platform, this app helps the busy, distracted learner of today’s world to keep treading the path to proficiency in English. With this app, its users are all a nudge away from mastering English vocabulary.

References

Godwin-Jones, R. (2011). Emerging technologies mobile apps for language learning. Language Learning & Technology,15, 2-11.

Motteram, G. (2013). Introduction. In G. Motteram (Ed.), Innovations in learning technologies for English language teaching (pp.5-13). London: The British Council.

Prensky, M. (2007). Digital game-based learning. New York: Paragon House.

Zhou, L., Yu, J., Liao, C., & Shi, Y. (2017). Learning as adventure: An app designed with gamification elements to facilitate language learning. In F-H. Nah & C-H. Tan (Eds.),HCI in Business, Government and Organizations. Interacting with Information Systems (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 102930, pp. 266-275). Cham: Springer.

Zhou, Yu, Liaoand Shi, (2017) note that “the increasing spread of mobile technologies provides educators and developers with more opportunities for creating a wider range of education tools” (p.266)

Prensky (2007) notes, there are twelve characteristics that make games engaging for a large number of people. Games are a form of “fun” and play, which bring us enjoyment and intense involvement. They also have rules and goals, which give us structure and motivation. What seems to be another salient feature of games is that they have outcomes and feedback, which, in turn, facilitate learning

Improve English: Word Games is developed to “help people improve their English leveraging AI [Artificial Intelligence] and gamification.” The idea of having one’s learning process chunked into several more achievable steps seems to be more appealing to Learners

Current courses incorporated in this app are designed to improve vocabulary, English idioms, phrasal verbs, homonyms/homophones, and common confusing English words, all of which play a vital role in language learning