Japanese classrooms using Nintendo DS to teach English

by Griffin McElroy { Jun 28th 2008 at 8:00PM }

We've had many Game Boy Pockets, GBA SPs and other portable devices snatched up by certain agitated educators during our formative years, which is why the recent news of a new program to teach English to Japanese students using the Nintendo DS fills us with unbridled, elderly bitterness. Think of the things our generation of handheld companions could have taught us! Geometry from Tetris! Microbiology from Dr. Mario! Animal husbandry from Pokémon!

To be fair, the program (which was recently examined in a Reuters write-up) requires students at Japan's Joshi Gakuen all-girl junior high school to use special English-instructing software with the handhelds, which are collected at the end of each class to prevent any unsavory Pokédueling during recess. The program is just barely into its one-year trial period, though the school's vice principal is very optimistic -- if only he knew he was actually transforming his pupils into rot-brained, knife-wielding miscreants!

Tags: ds, ds-lite, education, english, japanese, joshi-gakuen, nintendo-ds, school

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

DangerMouse @ Jun 28th 2008 8:23PM

The truck have started to move.

Jhongerkong @ Jun 28th 2008 10:34PM

I FEEL ASLEEP

James @ Jun 29th 2008 10:06AM

They need one for English to French to Quebecois

filpaul @ Jun 28th 2008 8:29PM

Blue. Blue! BLUE!!!

dark_inchworm @ Jun 28th 2008 8:33PM

I was at a sushi bar just over a week ago, and the cute Japanese waitress was bracing us for scrumptious delights. She spoke to me, and I thought she asked if I wanted a straw, since she'd just given me a drink. Turns out she asked if I wanted a fork, or in her dialect, a "fwah."

If nothing else, it makes me hesitant to pick up another language for fear of everything I say being mangled.

Jess Q. @ Jun 28th 2008 10:47PM

That's weird, because in Japanese, "fork" should be pronounced like, "Fohh-ku," I think. Most Japanese who speak English realize not to really add the "ku" to it and just say, "Fohk." "Fwah" makes me think either she wasn't Japanese or she has a speech impediment, heh.

coolforever4537 @ Jun 28th 2008 8:42PM

Now if only it could be the opposite.... *cough wants My Japanese Coach cough*

Jakka @ Jun 28th 2008 8:51PM

The fact that interaction = faster learning is pretty obvious so it's a shame that so many people fail to see that.

...and I wouldn't mind playing CSS or TF2 as a PE Lesson.Hey, it's a sport right?

severian00 @ Jun 28th 2008 10:15PM

Better headline would've been:
"Japanese classrooms using Nintendo DS to teach Engrish!"

Just my thought

UltimateQ @ Jun 29th 2008 3:34AM

You win the funniest comment of the article.

On a side note. I think its a great idea to do this sort of thing. So many people own DSes (Myself exluded). Why not just use them as part of the curriculum.

Jess Q. @ Jun 28th 2008 10:49PM

Every time the Joystiq family of sites posts about this game I just get pissed off we don't have something to teach us Japanese. :p

Donald @ Jun 28th 2008 10:49PM

Everything I needed to know about binary and hexidecimal numbers I learned from Pokemon.

Now I'm getting into this whole husbandry business. Hey Ditto, c'mere... my Swampert wants to have some fun with you.

t_m @ Jun 28th 2008 11:03PM

Amount of Learn English software available for the DS in Japan at last count: 134 titles.
Learn Japanese software: 27 titles
Learn other languages: 17 titles
Learn business manners: 1 title

Amount of educational DS titles in western countries:
1 cooking title.

:-(