DS Daily: Finally, with the language 'games'
by Alisha Karabinus 
{ May 16th 2007 at 9:00AM }
Three words we weren't sure we'd ever say: God bless Ubisoft. They're finally bringing some English-based language trainers to the DS: listings for My French Coach and My Spanish Coach have turned up on GameFly. We've yearned for such as these after drooling over all the English and Kanji trainers out for Japanese DS owners, and at last, it looks like the tide has turned in our favor. Between this and Jam Sessions, we're starting to feel a little better about Ubisoft and their unfortunate port habit. Also listed is My Word Coach, which sounds like it might be a vocabulary trainer, and we're all for that! We're hoping we'll begin to hear words like mellifluous and tmesis in daily conversation.
So today's question is: are you interested in any of these three, or are you firmly holding out for languages not taught in the average high school? Or perhaps we should say, vous voulez acheter Mon Entraîneur Français? Feel free to correct any errors there -- we could use a French coach!
[Via Joystiq]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jonnymoose @ May 16th 2007 10:12AM
"Voulez-vous...?" not "Vous voulez...?"
Yes. Interested.
Miko @ May 16th 2007 10:20AM
I for one am very interested in these games however there is something I just don't get. Let's do the math shall we?
DS owner likes games.
+
Lots (if not most) of Games come from Japan.
=
DS owner likes Japanese games.
Therefore Japanese language game that would help DS owner have access to more games only makes sense to me.
What the heck? Why isn't this made already?
I am hoping actually that a lot of the big language text book publishers like Berlitz or Tuttle pay attention to the DS. It is a very viable medium for language study because that touch screen input makes the experience more interactive. Plus you take it with you so when you have time you can review a lesson or do a quiz. That is much easier than carving out an hour 2 after work or on the weekend to study.
Sancroff @ May 16th 2007 10:24AM
Um, what about "My Japanese Coach"? When was the last time you imported a game from France or Spain?
ambient @ May 16th 2007 10:34AM
I totally agree -- I'm not interested in a language game until it's a language game that can teach me to read Japanese.
ambient @ May 16th 2007 10:47AM
In Ubisoft's defense, they do already have employees that speak French and Spanish -- they do not have offices in Japan. That doesn't absolve the industry at large though. Nintendo of Japan is DROPPING THE BALL, yo.
Ewa @ May 16th 2007 11:49AM
Agreed about the Japanese one, but I'd like to have an Italian one. I admit I'm being difficult.
I like the word coach one though. If it does turn out to be as you say.
Troy @ May 16th 2007 12:26PM
I will definitely be all over these! I am very excited!
mrbloko @ May 16th 2007 12:11PM
I've been wanting a german vocab trainer.
Alisha Karabinus @ May 16th 2007 12:27PM
@#1 - I wasn't sure about that, because I've seen both constructions, so I decided to go with the one I was taught. I assume the other form is more casual? I don't know... see, I need My French Coach.
Certainly, there is a demand for Japanese language training, but French and Spanish must be easier, even if we ignore the fact that Ubisoft DOES have employees all over the world who speak a myriad of languages. Now, I say, just give it time. If these are coming out, the dogpile-onto-the-DS effect will bring more language trainers.
Ewa: I seem to hear of a lot of people lately who want to speak Italian! I'm not sure you're being that "difficult" at all on that one -- it seems to be in high demand. German as well. But again, I expect we may see a lot of these, particularly if Ubi's titles have any success at all.
This is rare for me to say, but if they seem good, I may get both, having spent some time studying both of those languages. The man of the house, though, he's definitely in the Japanese club... he's been studying the language for years and is constantly on the lookout for new ways to help him expand his knowledge, and I'd love to be able to get him something like this. I imported one of the Japanese-for-Japanese trainers, but it's pretty advanced....
Zeroo @ Jul 23rd 2007 10:08PM
@1 "Vous voulez" is also correct :)
MDJ @ May 16th 2007 1:06PM
Both "vous voulez" and "voulez-vous" are technically correct, but judging from context, it would actually be better to say "voudriez-vous acheter" or "acheteriez-vous" or "est-ce que vous acheteriez" because "would you buy [yada yada]?" sounds better than "do you want to buy [yada yada]?"
ArashiUzumaki @ May 16th 2007 1:42PM
If there was a japanese teaching one, i'd be game!
3cubedminus3squared @ May 16th 2007 2:03PM
I'll wait until an Italian and Portuguese version come out.
CC @ May 16th 2007 4:24PM
vous voulez acheter Mon Entraîneur Français
is the slang way to say "you wanna buy my French coach?"
Do you want to buy my French coach?
would be : Voulez-vous acheter mon entraîneur français?
Still, the best way to say it is : Will you buy my french coach?
-> Allez-vous acheter mon entraîneur français?
:)
Karga @ May 16th 2007 4:30PM
Furansu-go mo Oranda-go o kudasai!
My boyfriend has the travel bug and I'll be needing both those languages soon.
Sure I'd love to learn some Japanese too, but I'm a cynic and I don't expect they'll make that available.
MeLeNaS @ May 16th 2007 5:02PM
I've had always the opinion that educational games are a great way to learn languages. I learnt far more things in my English class (I'm a native Spanish speaker) when we played any kind of game than when the class followed the traditional boring lesson scheme. I'd love to have language training games for the DS, particularly in the German and Japanese versions :)
Javier Silva @ May 16th 2007 6:07PM
I don't need the spanish, because is my mother languague and i fully know about this :D
I will try the french =D... my girlfriend speak french and i want to learn from the DS and she.
Srry for my english >.
tothetracks @ May 16th 2007 10:32PM
Can't wait my French would always use some practice.
otakucode @ May 17th 2007 9:54PM
Learning Japanese is not easy. I have spent HUNDREDS buying dozens and dozens of books. I would LOVE anything on the DS that made it more like a game... hell, even a concentration-style game with matching tiles for kana and kanji could help recognition of kana, radicals, and full kanji and move along from there!
For now I move along oh so slowly with the best thing I have found so far - I bought a bunch of books intended for 5 year olds off of eBay (including a Japanese original of the classic Everybody Poops! I had no idea it was even Japanese originally... also got Everybody Farts ;)
Alisha Karabinus @ May 18th 2007 3:49AM
Hey, if we just make more topics in which I throw down some French, I may get all the training I need right here!
That'll really help when I'm doing homework next semester... >.>
JC Fletcher @ May 21st 2007 1:03AM
I just want the Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten with an English interface and a sub-$50 price tag. Those Japanese dictionary devices are really expensive, and I'd like to use my existing DS (with touch screen) rather than getting one of those.
tacoman @ May 23rd 2007 11:47AM
@14
Kudasai isn't a verb, it's a suffix and thus you don't need the 'o' in front of it.
There is a series of software out in Japan for use in travel, last I checked there were about 5 languages out. Basically, you touch what you want to say and it comes out the speakers in the foreign language. (It's Thai, Chinese, German, American English, and Korean) http://touch-ds.jp/mfs/yubisashi/index.html
There's also both the Eigo Zuke (Addicted to English) trainers, http://touch-ds.jp/mfs/mottoeigozuke/index.html
English-Japanese Dictionary software as well http://touch-ds.jp/mfs/rakubiki/index.html They're all aimed at a Japanese demographic, but it can work both ways.
My advice is to do what I did and spend about 6 years learning Japanese through classes, books, and study abroad. It works!
Rachel @ Jul 30th 2007 5:34PM
About 1 year ago I wrote nintendo with a list of games that I think they should be making. The list included 5 games...Catz..Picross..French teaching games..math learning games and finally mario party ds....so far it seems that they like my ideas...they should be paying me. Im waiting for mario party ds now.