wraggster
February 24th, 2007, 00:53
via ign (http://uk.ds.ign.com/articles/766/766271p1.html)
The Japanese seem to have a thing for learning the English language without actually learning it. That means big business for dictionary makers and language schools. And, of course, for Nintendo, maker of the game machine that all those English learners seem to own: the DS.
Last year's Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training Eigo Zuke, whose name is commonly translated here at IGN as "DS Training For Adults Who Aren't Good at English: English Language Trainer," was one of the best selling "non-games" for the DS. Just as it did with Brain Age, Nintendo is adding a "Motto" (Japanese for "More") to the title and having one more go at sorta-kinda teaching the Japanese how to speak English.
Nintendo is packing a lot into the sequel. Some 400 conversation situations, covering phone calls, train station announcements and customer/clerk dialogue, are included. The title also promises to improve real-life listening skills by adding environmental sounds and accents to dictation sequences.
Fully titled Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training Motto Eigo Zuke, the sequel will hit Japan on 3/29. We expect another million seller for Nintendo, but we don't expect a million Japanese people to actually start speaking English better.
The Japanese seem to have a thing for learning the English language without actually learning it. That means big business for dictionary makers and language schools. And, of course, for Nintendo, maker of the game machine that all those English learners seem to own: the DS.
Last year's Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training Eigo Zuke, whose name is commonly translated here at IGN as "DS Training For Adults Who Aren't Good at English: English Language Trainer," was one of the best selling "non-games" for the DS. Just as it did with Brain Age, Nintendo is adding a "Motto" (Japanese for "More") to the title and having one more go at sorta-kinda teaching the Japanese how to speak English.
Nintendo is packing a lot into the sequel. Some 400 conversation situations, covering phone calls, train station announcements and customer/clerk dialogue, are included. The title also promises to improve real-life listening skills by adding environmental sounds and accents to dictation sequences.
Fully titled Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training Motto Eigo Zuke, the sequel will hit Japan on 3/29. We expect another million seller for Nintendo, but we don't expect a million Japanese people to actually start speaking English better.