http://digitalplay.info/blog/2009/11/get-hip-with-hapland-a-live-listening/
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Vocabulary within the game Hapland
Listening Focus: Instructions & directions
Time: 20 – 30 minutes
Game: Hapland
Screenshot of the game Hapland (what you see is what you get)
Hapland is a point and click game which takes place over the space of one screen. Basically, in the screenshot above you can see the whole game. The object of the game is to get the stick man, who you can see in the cave by the light, out of the cave and through the door which is on the other side of the door in the cave. Of course you have to do a lot of complicated things in between to get him there but that means there is a lot of explaining to do and therefore a lot of language.
Preparation
Print off a copy of the walkthrough and familiarise yourself with the game by playing it a few times. There are a few screenshots of each stage of the game to help you.
Playing
In the computer room use the walkthrough to guide your learners through the game. Most of the language production will be done by you so essentially this is a listening. However, because this is live it does allow the opportunity for learners to interect with the teacher and vice versa. For an idea of how to conduct this activity, have a look at this Hapland tapescript of the Hapland live listening activity between myself and an English learner. I try to be as natural as possible and ask occasional questions to check comprehension, recycle vocabulary and get the learner to describe a little about what’s happening in the game.
Post-Playing
Back in class you can ask the learners:
1) what new vocabulary they learnt and ask them to write them on the board, correct spelling and then copy into a gaming dictionary.
2) Show learners or give out a Hapland screenshot and ask learners in pairs to take it in turns to explain how they completed the game.
3) Ask your learners to write out the walkthrough using the the new vocabulary.
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