Alelo deveoped a multiplayer online language learning role-playing game (Mission to Senegal) that uses speech recognition for conversations with NPCs. There's no combat, but there are skills, intrigue, leveling-up, exploration, etc. Practicing your language skills through interactions with NPCs is a big component of gaining levels. Unity 3D was used and the game will be demonstrated at I/ITSEC later this month.
It's not an open world, but it's not entirely linear - the game is a 4-5 hour story-driven role-playing game in an immersive world designed to help teach French and the culture of Senegal. The game is intergrated with an online and social curriculum to learn French and is a supplement to the online course, not a complete replacement.
Mission to Senegal isn't Skyrim by any means. =) But it is fun and it does utilize gameplay.
Its actual effectiveness in helping players learning French is still being evaluated - the game is part of a research project - the Integrated System for Language Education and Training (ISLET) funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and performed by the Academic Consortium for Global Education (ACGE).
ISLET is being used in an active study with U.S. Navy and Marines to assess how they learn through the system. A goal of the research project was to assess learner behavior and how the game component might impact the learning process and motivation.
It's not an open world, but it's not entirely linear - the game is a 4-5 hour story-driven role-playing game in an immersive world designed to help teach French and the culture of Senegal. The game is intergrated with an online and social curriculum to learn French and is a supplement to the online course, not a complete replacement.
Mission to Senegal isn't Skyrim by any means. =) But it is fun and it does utilize gameplay.
Its actual effectiveness in helping players learning French is still being evaluated - the game is part of a research project - the Integrated System for Language Education and Training (ISLET) funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and performed by the Academic Consortium for Global Education (ACGE).
ISLET is being used in an active study with U.S. Navy and Marines to assess how they learn through the system. A goal of the research project was to assess learner behavior and how the game component might impact the learning process and motivation.
A brief article about the study's announcement is here: http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=60581