Slova for the 83/84+
Posted by Ryan on 16 January 2015, 20:45 GMT

There has been much to-do in recent decades regarding the issue of whether learning a second language affords certain mental advantages. While the findings regarding when a person learns a second language are still being worked out, and the results are still out on all of the specifics, there is good evidence to suggest that speaking two languages is associated with benefits in different domains, regardless of media hype and potential publication biases.

All of that aside, there are many, many places these days to help you learn a second language. And why not? Learning new languages opens the door to new works of art, cultures, and ideas. And you know us -- we're all about being worldly. We also know that learning a new language can, at times, be frustrating. What if the process could be, oh I don't know, turned into a game? Sure, people have tried. But, you know, most attempts have just been missing something. Something crucial. Something... involving calculators, perhaps.

Yes, that's it! Thanks to all-around smart person and calculator crackerjack Rickie "Hot_Dog" Malgren, your calculator can be a bastion of bilingual betterment. Slova is a side-scrolling platformer with language learning set as its central purpose. Run, jump, and nuke your way to lexical ecstasy as you pair up words with their second language equivalents, all the while dodging the baddies and avoiding injury. If your New Year's Resolution was to pick up a second language, you'll be pleased to know that Rickie has really gone all out with this release. There's exhaustive documentation, source code, plenty of examples, and a few different language packs included for your enjoyment. Want to help others learn a new language? Why, you can even create your own language pack! While you're at it, someone should go ahead and get a French pack completed. For you non-francophones out there, no more Google translations when browsing TI-Planet!

Thanks to Rickie for a fantastic release in the edutaining world of calcs. What a great way to start the new year!

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