{"id":7073,"date":"2020-04-01T16:00:19","date_gmt":"2020-04-01T16:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/?p=7073"},"modified":"2020-04-01T11:00:52","modified_gmt":"2020-04-01T11:00:52","slug":"presenting-the-utalk-language-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/presenting-the-utalk-language-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Presenting: The uTalk Language Games!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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We\u2019ve been busy beavers here at uTalk for the past week or so, working hard to make sure everything stays running smoothly as we all transferred to working from home. Of course, we didn\u2019t forget about any of you! We\u2019ve also been working on a little special something to help keep you all busy, learning, and having fun for as long as we\u2019re all stuck indoors.<\/em>
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At uTalk, we\u2019ve always tried to be a language learning company that encourages people to make friends. That\u2019s especially important at the moment, at least for us here in the UK, where everyone\u2019s having to find new, creative ways to spend time with the people they miss but don\u2019t live with.
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And that\u2019s just to talk! Go on any social media site and you\u2019ll see people coming up with great new ways to play games together, to go on dates, or even to make their daily conversations a little more exciting than just staring at a monitor.
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Between all the social distancing and the fact that a lot of people are finding themselves cut off from their schools and offices and everywhere else they want to go, we\u2019ve been racking our brains to come up with something that can have you learning a new language but that will also give you the chance to build a new community\u2014or strengthen an existing one.
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So, fancy learning a new language with other people? Want to compete, or learn the same language as your friends?
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Come join the uTalk Language Games!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wait, what are the uTalk Language Games?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Games are our brand-new initiative to help keep everyone learning a new skill\u2014but also entertained\u2014while we\u2019re all stuck inside. You\u2019ll learn a new language, earn points, and compete with others (or not, if you don\u2019t want to). It\u2019s fun and easy to set up\u2014all you\u2019ll need is to register here and then use the existing uTalk app.
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Of course, there\u2019s a bit more to it than that.
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If you\u2019ve been around for a while, then you\u2019ll probably have heard of the uTalk Junior Language Challenge. The uTalk JLC turned 15 last year and over the years, more than 25,000 students across the UK have learnt a new language (or three!) by taking part.
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How the uTalk JLC\u2014and now, the Games\u2014differ from our regular subscription-based offering is fairly similar. With both, once you choose your language (any of 144!), you\u2019ll have access to 15* of the 60+ topics we offer. Registration costs a small fee (designed not to break the bank, but to help us keep this whole thing running smoothly) and you\u2019ll receive a username and password that you\u2019ll use to log in\u2014so it\u2019s separate to your regular account. You\u2019ll still play all the same games and learn in the same way as you usually do, but all those points you accumulate? They\u2019ll show up on a leaderboard that you\u2019ll have access to, showing you where you rank compared to the rest of the participants in your country or region**. 
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You can also register as a group\u2014be that a teacher registering a class, a manager registering their team, a group of friends registering together\u2026 In this case, you\u2019ll all learn the same language and have a separate leaderboard where you can see how you\u2019re getting on. Your group leader will also have access to a management page, where they can add new members\u2014so if one friend is hesitant about joining, don\u2019t worry, they\u2019ve got time!
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Sound good? Well, we\u2019ve changed a couple of things from our uTalk JLC base, just to sweeten the pot a little for you all.
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First of all, we\u2019ve opened up registration to anyone\u2014and we mean anyone.<\/em> Under 15s will need the permission of their parents or guardians (it\u2019s on the registration form) but no matter your age, no matter your location, you can come along and take part. The uTalk JLC is limited to primary-aged pupils in the UK but what\u2019s the point of that for this, when we\u2019re all in the same boat here?
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Secondly, we\u2019re keeping the Games open until the end of July and, since 15 topics won\u2019t really tide some of you more voracious learners over until then, we\u2019re going to unlock a new topic or two for you each week. You\u2019ll get an email saying which topics have been unlocked but, if you prefer, you can also head over to our Facebook page and give it a like\u2014we\u2019ll be announcing our unlocked topic(s) each week, as well as sharing our progress and asking you all to let us know how you\u2019ve gotten on.
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So, if after all that, you\u2019re still interested\u2014click here to register!<\/a> As soon as you\u2019ve got your username and password, you can start earning points!
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And, if you want to get an insider look at just how our app works to help you learn (and maybe get a leg up on your friends\u2019 scores!) then just keep reading!
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*The initial 15 topics – Free Starter Words, Holiday, Numbers up to 20, Time, Body, Clothes, Colours, Calendar, Leisure, School, Animals, Fruit, Likes and Dislikes, Shopping Phrases, Short Phrases.
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**Currently, only participants in England will be able to select a region\u2014however, that may change, so keep checking back!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using the uTalk app<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019ve used the uTalk app or not, we thought it might be useful to give you all a quick rundown of how it works. Plus, we\u2019ve added a few hints as to how you can learn more and reach those high scores!
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Each topic teaches between 20 and 50 words and phrases, using an assortment of games. (If you\u2019ve never <\/em>used the app before and prefer a more hands-on approach to learning something new, go ahead and download it now<\/a> and give it a try! The app itself is free and you\u2019ll have access to the Free Starter Words topic in every language.)
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Every topic features the same six games, designed to get you speaking, listening, and learning without really realising it! Those six games are: Phrase Practice, Easy Game, Speaking Game, Hard Game, Memory Game, and Recall Game.
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Phrase Practice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Okay, so maybe we misspoke\u2014this isn\u2019t precisely <\/em>a game. However, it is where you\u2019d be best off starting! 
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Basically, Phrase Practice is a chance for you to spend some time with the vocabulary and phrases you\u2019ll be learning\u2014before you get thrown headfirst into any of the games! It also gives you a chance to start associating the words with the images provided; this is an important part of uTalk\u2019s method, as it means we can get rid of your source language right from the get go.
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On the left hand side, you\u2019ll see the image, the word in your new (target) language, and the word in your original (source) language. If the language you\u2019re learning is in a different script to your source language, for example, if you\u2019re learning Japanese from English, then you\u2019ll see the Japanese script, and a romanised version underneath.
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When you scroll through this list, you\u2019ll hear each word or phrase in your target language, spoken by both a male and a female native speaker. You can then use the icons at the bottom to play around with what you\u2019re hearing and how you\u2019re learning.
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The speaker on the left lets you play the sound again.
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The snail (shockingly) slows the audio down.
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The microphone lets you record yourself, so you can listen back and see how you sound. You can then compare this recording to the native speaker audio and decide to keep or discard it.
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And the last icon lets you autoplay the list, so you don\u2019t even have to press anything! The words and phrases will cycle through automatically, playing both speakers\u2019 pronunciation before moving on.
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Whenever you begin a new topic, we recommend you go through Phrase Practice at least once before moving onto any of the games\u2014but you can practice the list as long as you\u2019d like!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easy Game<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the Easy Game, you see a random selection of four images from the topic in each round. You\u2019ll hear the pronunciation for each, then they\u2019re shuffled and you have to choose the correct one when the speaker says it again. Handily, in this game, you get the text at the bottom of the screen, so that gives you a little hint!
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Speaking Game<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the Speaking Game, you\u2019ll see two different screens\u2014the setup for the game, and then the game itself. The point of this game is to get you used to recording yourself and comparing your pronunciation with that of the native speaker.
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That\u2019s why, initially, you\u2019ll see the screen below. There will be a selection of five images from the topic and, one-by-one, they\u2019ll be pulled to the bottom of the screen (with the text in the target language shown underneath). You\u2019ll hear the native speaker audio and you can either record immediately\u2014by pressing the microphone icon\u2014or you can tap the image to hear the audio again.
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If you record one and you aren\u2019t satisfied, just tap the image to pull it back out of the line up and try again. Once you are happy, though, it\u2019s onto the game!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After the initial setup, the Speaking Game is a lot like the Easy Game\u2014except shorter. You only have to complete five rounds and you\u2019ll be hearing your own voice the whole time, so hopefully it won\u2019t be too difficult!
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Hard Game<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Hard Game, too, is a lot like the Easy Game, except for the fact that it\u2019s, well, harder.
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Each round, you\u2019ll be faced with an increasing number of images and instead of matching one to the audio before you move on, you\u2019ll be tasked with matching almost all of them. You might find, too, that if you keep getting one wrong in earlier rounds\u2014or if you got it wrong in other games\u2014it\u2019ll come up here more often. That\u2019s because the app is designed to test you again on things you got wrong so that you can get them right!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Memory Game<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ah, our most well-received game!
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Just kidding.
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Lots of people have trouble with this game but it\u2019s worth the effort because it gets you thinking in your target language. That\u2019s why we love it! Basically, the first five rounds are all the same: you\u2019ll see two, then three, then four\u2026 all the way up to six images, and have to memorise where they are. After a few seconds\u2014you\u2019ll see the timer go down at the bottom there\u2014the images flip over, the audio plays, and you\u2019ve got to find the right card!
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So it can<\/em> be tricky. But you\u2019ll be surprised how quickly you learn by playing this one!
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Plus, after six cards, it turns into a timed version of the Hard Game, so you still have to be quick but don\u2019t have to precisely remember where everything is. 
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There\u2019s also a really quick hack to get full marks in this game: make sure you\u2019re not using your source language! If you\u2019re still translating the images to your source language to your target language, then it\u2019s just going to slow you down. Try your best to cut out that middle language and you\u2019ll find your score increases really quickly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Recall Game<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is the sixth and final game and the one we don\u2019t expect people to go through and complete all in one go. Basically, you\u2019ll see the screen below\u2014the image and your source language text beneath it\u2014and then your job is just to record the word or phrase in your target language. Coming back to it as and when you remember words and phrases will 
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Once recorded, you\u2019ll hear the native speaker recording and then your own voice again, and you have to decide (tapping the tick or the cross) if you got it right. 
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This is the only game where, if you exit midway through, you\u2019ll keep your current score\u2014so that you can come back to it as many times as you\u2019d like.
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And that\u2019s it! Once you\u2019ve completed those six games, you\u2019ve finished the whole topic\u2014so why not go ahead and get started?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why should you take part in the uTalk Language Games?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you do decide to participate, you\u2019ll have the chance to learn at least<\/em> 600 new words and phrases in your target language; we calculate that getting full marks in a topic takes, on average, around three hours, so it should keep you busy, too.
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You\u2019ll also, like we said up at the top there, have the chance to learn more and more each week, compete or work with your friends, and check how you\u2019re doing versus your region, country, or team.
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So, what are you waiting for?
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Go ahead, join us and register for the uTalk Language Games!<\/a>
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve been busy beavers here at uTalk for the past week or so, working hard to make sure everything stays running smoothly as we all transferred to working from home. Of course, we didn\u2019t forget about any of you! We\u2019ve also been working on a little special something to help keep you all busy, learning, … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[24,3],"tags":[1824,1822,333,52,1821,1823],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7073"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7073"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7073\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}