GB2267835A

GB2267835A - Foreign language games

Info

Publication number: GB2267835A
Application number: GB9213125A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul David Handley; Bernard Winston Poulton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-06-20
Filing date: 1992-06-20
Publication date: 1993-12-22
Also published as: GB9213125D0

Abstract

A deck of playing cards comprises a plurality of cards each of which bears on its face a word or phrase in a foreign language, a translation thereof, and an indication of its pronunciation. Other cards may bear linking words or may be "stop" cards. The rule book may be in the form of a suspended set of sheets (30) bearing tabs and associated instructions so that the correct sheet is easily found and displayed. <IMAGE>

Description

"Foreiqn Lanquaqe Games" This invention relates to foreign language games, and to rules books for teaching the rules of games.

It is well established that games can be both entertaining and educational. However there are very few games in existence aimed at the important area of foreign language teaching. Of course, it is not possible to learn to speak a foreign language fluently simply by playing a game, although it is believed that a game can be used to teach a person to speak certain words and phrases in a foreign language in a manner sufficient to be understood in that language on a simple level.

It is an object of the invention to provide a foreign language game for this purpose.

According to the present invention there is provided a foreign language game which may be used to teach the meaning and pronunciation of simple words and/or phrases in a foreign language to a native language speaker, the game comprising a pack of playing cards incorporating a plurality of translation cards each of which has on it at least one word and/or phrase in the foreign language, at least one word and/or phrase in the native language being a translation of said at least one word and/or phrase in the foreign language, and a phonetic representation of said at least one word and/or phrase in the foreign language as an aid to pronunciation.

In most versions of the game the words and/or phrases provided on the translation cards are chosen such that longer phrases or sentences or a group of words linked by a common theme may be formed by placing selected translation cards alongside one another.

Such a game may be adapted to be played by two or more players according to rules by which the players take it in turns to ask one another to translate simple words and/or phrases in the foreign language as shown on the translation cards, and the players attempt to place cards on the table to form longer phrases or sentences or a group of words in the native and foreign language. The winner of the game is the player who first disposes of all of his/her cards in this manner.

Preferably at least some of the translation cards include, in addition to the main words and/or phrases in the native and foreign languages and the corresponding phonetic representations, further words and/or phrases in the native and foreign languages and the corresponding phonetic representations arranged on the cards so as to be readily distinguishable from the main words and/or phrases in the native and foreign languages and the corresponding phonetic representations.

Conveniently the main words and/or phrases in the native and foreign languages and the corresponding phonetic representations are in bolder print than the further words and/or phrases in the native and foreign languages and the corresponding phonetic representations.

In one embodiment of the game the pack of playing cards also incorporates link cards each of which has on it a link word in both the native language and the foreign language and a phonetic representation of the link word in the foreign language, as well as an explanation of the manner in which the link word can be used in a foreign language phrase.

In a preferred form of the game the pack of playing cards also incorporates stop cards which do not include foreign language words and their phonetic representations but which are usable in the game to gain an opponent's card.

The invention also provides a rules book for teaching the rules of a game, the book comprising a series of leaves containing a corresponding series of instructions for playing different stages of the game and connected together along a spine, at least some of the leaves having tabs projecting from their edges which are furthest from the spine, and at least some of the leaves each having an indication that a tab on one of the leaves should be grasped in order to expose a subsequent instruction on a further one of the leaves.

Preferably each tab is provided at one of two or more positions along the edge of the corresponding leaf and/or is in one of two or more colours. Furthermore some of the leaves may provide a choice of action in response to a particular instruction by indicating that either of two tabs should be grasped in order to expose one of two subsequent instruct ions depending on the course of the game.

In a preferred embodiment the rules book has a stand for supporting it by its spine so that it hangs vertically, and the spine is such as to permit a leaf at the front of the book to be flipped over through substantially a complete circle so that it assumes a position at the back of the book. Conveniently the spine has a ring binding, and the stand includes a horizontal support rod which may be passed through the ring binding to support the book therefrom.

In this case the leaves of the book may have instructions on both sides to enable more than one player to read instructions on respective sides of the book simultaneously.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a preferred game in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows the back of a playing card; Figures 2 to 6 show the fronts of five different playing cards; Figure 7 shows a stand for the rule book; and Figures 8, 9 and 10 show three different leaves of the rule book.

The preferred game has a pack of 216 playing cards, a rule book and a rule book stand. The particular game for which the cards are illustrated is for teaching English language speakers to speak simple words and phrases in Portuguese, and the back of each card denotes a map of Portugal (Figure 1). The cards include 192 translation cards (Figures 2, 3 and 4), 6 link cards (Figure 5) and 18 stop cards (Figure 6).

Referring to Figure 2, for example, each translation card has on it a main word or phrase 2 in English, a main word or phrase 4 in Portuguese (of which the English word or phrase 2 is a translation) and a phonetic representation 6 of the Portuguese word or phrase, all of which are shown in bold print. In addition most of the translation cards include two further words or phrases 8, 10 in English, two further words or phrases 12, 14 in Portuguese (of which the English words or phrases 8, 10 are translations), and phonetic representations 16, 18 of the Portuguese words or phrases. However some of the translation cards do not include further words and phrases, but instead include an explanation 20 of the Portuguese currency, as shown in Figure 4.

The link cards are of similar format to the translation cards except that they are concerned with the use of the link word "and" and incorporate an explanation 22 of the use of the word "and" in Portuguese, as shown in Figure 5. The stop cards do not include words or phrases in Portuguese, although they include an explanation 24 of the use of the stop card in a game, as shown in Figure 6.

The manner in which the game is played will now be briefly described. Although a slightly modified form of the game can be played by two players, this explanation will be given with reference to the version of the game to be played by three to ten players.

Initially five cards are dealt face down to each player except the player on the immediate left of the dealer who is dealt six cards. The remaining cards are then placed face down to form a draw pile. During the course of the game cards are drawn by the players from the draw pile and cards are discarded by the players face down onto a discard pile which is formed alongside the draw pile. In the first turn of the game the player on the left of the dealer is denoted the pronouncer and reads aloud the main Portuguese word or phrase (by reference to the phonetic representation) on a selected one of his/her cards to the player on his/her left who is denoted the translator. The translator must attempt to translate the word or phrase into English, and may use as aids for this purpose the cards held in his/her hand.

If the translation provided is acceptable, the translator gains the corresponding translation card from the pronouncer, and discards any one of his/her cards face down on the discard pile. The translator then becomes the pronouncer for the next turn, the player on his/her left becoming the translator. This sequence is repeated for each turn.

After a translator has gained a translation card and has discarded an unwanted card, the translator is given the option of attempting a putdown, that is of laying down two or more cards (for example the cards shown in Figures 2 and 3) on the table to form a single phrase or sentence, and/or of adding one or more cards to either end of any existing phrase or sentence on the table, including any bonus cards (the function of which will be described below) which may have been put down, and/or of using a stop card. Once the translator has put down one or more cards on the table, he/she must read aloud the completed Portuguese phrase or sentence. The translator must then pick up sufficient cards from the draw pile to replenish the cards in hand to the same number as were held before the translation was attempted.

If a translator is unable to provide an acceptable translation, the pronouncer declares "Anyone else?" to indicate that other players may attempt the translation. The first player to shout "BiLingo!" is then permitted to attempt the translation, and so on until all remaining players who wish to have attempted the translation. If no acceptable translation is provided, the pronouncer shows the translation card to all the other players, and then discards one of his/her cards onto the discard pile. If an acceptable translation is provided by one of the other players, that player takes the translated card and places it face up on the table where it becomes a bonus card. Cards may be added to the bonus card in the manner already described, although the bonus card itself cannot be put down to form a phrase or sentence with another card.

If a translator holds a stop card in his/her hand, he/she has the option after providing an acceptable translation of substituting the stop card for an opponent's bonus card or for an opponent's end card, that is the first or last card of an opponent's phrase or sentence on the table. Thus a stop card can be used not only to gain an opponent's card, but also to stop an opponent from extending a phrase or sentence.

When a player has put down all of his/her cards on the table, that player is the winner of the game.

It is a particularly convenient feature of the game that a flip book is provided as an aid to learning the rules of the game whilst the game is actually being played. As shown in Figure 7, the flip book 30 is supported by a stand 32 so that it may be referred to simultaneously by more than one player. To this end the stand 32 has a hollow horizontal support rod 34 which is passed through a ring binding 36 along the spine of the book 30, and two angle members 38 and 40 which are engaged within the ends of the support rod 34 and a further hollow rod 42 to form the assembled stand 32. It will be appreciated that the book 30 hangs freely from the support rod 34 so that the front of the book can be viewed in the direction of the arrow 44, and the back of the book can be viewed in the direction of the arrow 46 simultaneously.

Furthermore the ring binding 36 allows the leaves 48 of the book to be flipped over from front to back or vice versa to enable further instruct ions to be exposed on the front and back of the book.

The manner in which the book 30 can be used to follow a series of instructions for playing different stages of the game will now be described with reference to Figures 8 to 10. Figure 8 shows, by way of example, an instruction 50 on a leaf 48 of the book relating to a putdown by a translator who has provided an acceptable translation. It will be seen that indications 52 and 54 are also provided on the leaf 48 that the user is to grasp either a tab 56 or a tab 58 depending on whether all the translator's cards are not or are put down on the table.

If the tab 56 is grasped, it can be used to flip over two leaves of the book so as to expose a further instruct ion 60, as shown in Figure 9. Alternatively, if the tab 58 is grasped, it can be used to turn over a single leaf to expose an indication 62 that the game has been won, as shown in Figure 10.

In the case of the instruction 60 shown in Figure 9, there is only one possible action following this stage of the game, and an indication 64 is provided on the leaf 48 that a tab 66 should be grasped to expose the next instruction. It should be appreciated that the tabs 56, 66 and 58 are at three positions along the edge of the book and are in three different colours, and that there are a number of each tab 56, 66 or 58 provided throughout the book. Most of the leaves are provided with a single tab, although some leaves are provided with two tabs or no tab at all. Throughout the book the tabs are used as a convenient means of locating the further instruction to be followed in any particular circumstance.

CLAIMS 1. A foreign language game which may be used to teach the meaning and pronunciation of words and/or phrases in a foreign language to a native language speaker. The game comprising a pack of playing cards incorporating a plurality of translation cards each of which has on it at least one word and/or phrase in the foreign language, at least one word and/or phrase in the native language being a translation of said at least one word and/or phrase in the foreign language, and a phonetic representation of said at least one word and/or phrase in the foreign language as an aid to pronunciation.

In most versions of the game the words and/or phrases provided on the translation cards are chosen such that longer phrases or sentences or group of words linked by a common theme may be formed by placing selected translation cards alongside one another.

2. A foreign language game as claimed in Claim 1 wherein some of the translation cards include, in addition to the main words and/or phrases in the native and foreign languages and the corresponding phonetic representations, further words and/or phrases in the native and foreign languages and the corresponding phonetic representations arranged on the cards so as to be readily distinguishable from the main words and/or phrases in the native and foreign languages and the corresponding phonetic representations.

3. A foreign language game as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the pack of playing cards also incorporates link cards each of which has on it a link word in both the native language and the foreign language and a phonetic representation of the link word in the foreign language, as well as an explanation of the manner in which the link word can be used in a foreign language phrase.

4. A foreign language game as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the pack of playing cards also incorporates stop cards which do not include foreign language words and the phonetic representations but which are usable in the game to gain an opponent's card.

Claims

S. A foreign language game as claimed in Claim i or Claim 2 wherein the game also provides a rules book for teaching the rules of a game, the book comprising a series of leaves containing a corresponding series of instructions for playing different stages of the game and connected together along a spine, at least some of the leaves having tabs projected from their edges which are furthest from the spine, and at least some of the leaves each having an indication that a tab on one of the leaves should be grasped in order to expose a subsiquent instruction on a further one of the leaves.

6. A foreign language game as claimed in Claim S wherein the rules book has a stand for supporting it by its spine so that it hangs vertically, and the spine is such as to permit a leaf at the front of the book to be flipped over through substantially a complete circle so that it assumes a position at the back of the book.

7. A foreign language game as claimed in Claim S or Claim 6 wherein the leaves of the book may have instructions on both sides to enable more than one player to read instructions on respective sides of the book simultaneously.

8. A foreign language game substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-10 of the accompanying drawing.