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Expanding your vocabulary, one minigame at a time...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 20, 2008
Author: Amazon User

"My Word Coach" was made for those who of us who love words -- spelling them, learning their definitions, and -- in the end -- having the ability to sound like a walking, talking dictionary in front of our friends!

Through a series of minigames, you'll become more familiar with words in the English language. There's a nice variety of activities; over the course of seven days, at least seven new games or game levels were unlocked for me. Some are fun; "Pasta Letters" is one of my favorites. In this minigame, you try to unscramble a word whose letters appear in an alphabet soup. If you wait too long, they'll begin to sink under the surface of the soup; to retrieve them, you may have to blow into the DS's microphone. In "Word Shuffle," you have to match vocabulary words to the appropriate definition on an index card. In "Split Decision" you must rapidly choose the correct definition of a word from two choices, all the while trying to beat your previous time record.

I am impressed by the variety of activities that have appeared so far. However, I do not like all of the minigames. "Safecracker" is difficult for me. "Missing Letter" sometimes doesn't recognize the letter you've written; like, I'll write an "O" and it'll recognize it as an "R." You are allowed to fix your mistakes within a certain amount of time, but I think the recognition software could be a little better. Furthermore, I don't like how some of the games time you and penalize you if you don't complete it quickly enough. No matter how quickly I play "Block Letters," or how many times I try, I can't finish within the suggested time. The good news is, you get to choose which games you want to play each day, so if there's one you loathe, you can avoid it.

Other fun features in this game include an extensive glossary and a place where you can monitor your progress on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Thanks to this game, I've not only learned some new words, but I've had a few epiphanies, ala "Hey, I've always wondered what that word meant, but I've been too lazy to pick up my 15-pound Webster's dictionary! But now I know!"

"My Word Coach" puts a fun spin on expanding your vocabulary. Recommended for word lovers ages 8 and up.

Could be so much better

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 28, 2008
Author: Amazon User

It has potential, but falls way short. It needs pronunciations with the words - much like My Spanish Coach. It should also include part of speech in the definition, and at some point, should give you an example of the word being used. They need more games - some are just too tedious to do very often. It focuses more on spelling than on learning definitions. Nonetheless, both my husband and I have persisted through the game for two months and have both reached a point where our expression potential has not updated for three weeks of daily play regardless of the fact that we have reached our word quota almost every day. I hope UBI Soft will put some more time into this game and make the improvements necessary to make it both useful and fun.

Nice way to spend 10 minutes or so....

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 04, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I've played several of the "thinking" games out there, including 'Brain Age' and 'Big Brain Academy'. The Word Coach can hold its own against those games -- it's fun, interesting, and contains a decent number of games, most of which I liked.

I found myself wishing, though, that you could switch into another mode, where you play word games (such as crossword puzzles, or a boggle type game, etc...) instead of just do training activities. One of the games I mentioned above has a Sudoku mode, which I loved working on when I didn't feel like "training."

I also wish you could choose your level, rather than have to work your way up to it. I was pretty bored with the words I had, but apparently the only way to get words I don't know is to work my way up through the levels.

This game has a lot of potential for certain demographics - like a game for elementary school kids to work on vocabulary and spelling. My kids wanted to play this game but got pretty frustrated since it was above their level. Or how about a game loaded with SAT words to help kids get ready for the SATs?

Anyway, overall it's a good addition to your collection of DS games.

It's ok for entertainment, not a study tool

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 07, 2008
Author: Amazon User

letters in the soup, tetris kind of a game does not make you learn anything. You learn techniques to score rather then expand your vocabulary. You will see what I'm saying if you played it. It's just how fast can you copy letters.

The daily sessions are too long. You should decide how long you want to play not the meter.

Some words/definations does not sound right. deathless? isn't immortal more appropriate? I never use that word before.
The defination for 'termination' was to end a pregnency. I think termination has more defination then just ending a pregnency and certainly not apporiate for an E game. And there's others but I'm just writing what's on my head.

Lastly, handwriting reconition is not too good compaired to brain age. specially have problem with E which it thinks it's a G and G might be a C.

I was going to get the spanish version too but after the experience, I don't think I'll learn a thing with these games.
Just my thoughts
Thank You

Words and more words

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 11
Date: March 21, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game is fun -- it teaches you grammar and new words. We like the "block" game in which there's a list of letters; you spell themm out with blocks, but if the blocks reach the top, the game's over. We also like the daily challenge. It's easy to use if you're 10 or older.

Fun word games and a slick interface

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: December 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

My Word Coach for Nintendo DS invites users to improve their vocabulary through daily training exercises on six main games:

1. Missing Letters -- in which you fill in the correct letter in a given word
2. Split Decision -- in which you select the correct definition for a given word from two alternatives
3. Pasta Letters -- in which you rearrange letters to spell the word indicated by a given definition
4. Block Letters -- in which you spell words on a word list by selecting blocks (falling Tetris-like) on the screen
5. Word Shuffle -- in which you match up words with their definitions
6. Safecracker -- in which you spell a word indicated by a given definition

The games are timed, and your score on a game is a function of the number of correct answers supplied and time taken on the game. (There are in addition three practice games, but scores achieved on them do not count toward your daily grade, on which see below.) These games are not all available to first-time players. New games and higher levels of games are unlocked as one plays.

The game directs users to play a little bit every day, until the player reaches his or her daily quota of correct responses (say, 90 correct answers, which might take 20 or 30 minutes to reach, depending on how well one does on the games). When your daily quote is reached, the system assigns the player a grade, the player's "Expression Potential" or EP (some number out of a possible 100), which is supposed to measure the player's "ability to command and use the English language." Since the scores in many of the games depend on one's familiarity with the vocabulary used, I suppose your EP will roughly reflect your actual vocabulary. At any rate, after each day's quote is reached your EP is reassessed. (While you can continue to play the game for as long as you like during a single day--which will unlock games and levels for you--the correct answers supplied beyond your daily quota will not count toward a new EP assessment.)

Playing My Word Coach was my first extensive experience using a Nintendo DS. I am very impressed with the Nintendo as well as with the game's slick interface. Writing with the stylus on the machine's bottom screen is very smooth, and the letter recognition is quite good. Rarely one of my letters was not accepted, but the game gives you several chances to make corrections before marking your response as incorrect.

Finally, will the game indeed help improve your vocabulary? I wouldn't be surprised if it does. The games are fun, so players will want to come back. They're graded, so that one has a tangible goal to strive for. (You can also compare your high scores to those of other players in your household.) The game definitely does introduce unfamiliar words, and in many games the introduction of these words is tied to their definitions--which is to say that they appear in context. (There is also a glossary of words encountered that one can consult.) Plus, words are repeated and will show up across different games.

But even if the game does not in fact improve your "Expression Potential" I would still be impressed by it: it's slick, it's fun, and it keeps your mind active. Which can't be a bad thing.

-- Debra Hamel

Addictive Play

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: December 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I got this yesterday and my eleven year old daughter and I played it. I was so much fun. Imagine learning new words that you didn't know before, that's what happened with both my daughter and myself. This game allows you to challenge yourself, and to see just how well you follow instruction,how well you use words in the correct context. The only downfall is once you have reached your quota for the day, it will not let you move on. Yes you can continue to play the game but it will keep reminding you that you need to rest or what you are trying to do will not work. Which is build up your vocabulary. This is fun for both children and adults alike.

An Excellent Source to Learn more words - in a fun way!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: December 31, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I was very pleased with this game; it is certainly an enjoyable way to learn lots of new vocabulary. Of course, on the other hand, it's a little distressing to realize how much I DON'T know!! Nevertheless, an excellent tool for students or really anyone who wishes to expand their vocabulary. As a writer, this reivewer finds the experience invaluable - kind of like forming your own thesaurus in your own mind!

I only gave this FOUR stars on fun simply because it IS learning and sometimes the games can be a little difficult, especially when presented with several unknown words. That IS a good thing, it gives an opportunity to learn these words.

What is very nice is that immediately following each mini game, the words utilized in the mini game are presented again along with definitions. Also, some of the same words will be used in subsequent games (especially those which the player "missed"); this is a wise thing to do in my opinion, what has one learned if the "missed" words are simply missed and the player simply goes on to new words? This at least will help the player (hopefully) retain the new words, even the "missed" ones.

I DO wish that the game gave the player a little more time on the falling block games - it's one of my favorites; however, I almost always get a time PENALTY. Just a hint, to go a little faster, tap the down arrow and more letters will drop so you won't waste precious seconds waiting for the correct letter - you may have to use the bomb a few times but you won't get as much of a penalty. The penalty does not really mean anything other than your pride... You still get credit for correct answers.

The handwriting recognition is certainly decent. It misses a few but it is not bad and it seems to be getting better as it gets "used" to my manner of playing.

A fine addition, fun for adults. May be too difficult for youngsters under 10. They may be discouraged by lack of knowledge of many of the words.

Effective but repetitive

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: January 17, 2008
Author: Amazon User

My Word Coach for the Nintendo DS is an educational video game designed to teach new vocabulary words. I really wanted to like this game, but ultimately, it fell short of what I had hoped it would be.

The most important thing to know when considering purchasing this game is that it probably will help to build your vocabulary, but only if you use it to the point where all the word games get old. In fact, in my experience with this game, I had to play on average twenty to thirty minutes just to reach my daily quota of words. The problem is that there are only about six games, which means that things get old fairly fast. Perhaps I am just not a very disciplined person, but I began to lose interest in the games after a few days, and by a couple of weeks, I stopped playing the game altogether.

However, the games really can help you learn new words. When you start out, the game evaluates what level your vocabulary is at. Then it gradually introduces new words. I felt the balance was good between new words, words I already knew, and words that I was in the middle of learning. Also, the game has a dictionary feature included, so you can easily look up definitions to words.

The games are fairly fun, but nothing super spectacular. Some games are more helpful, like the game where you write a letter in to complete a word matching a given definition, while other games are less helpful, like the falling blocks game that teaches you how to spell words rather than what they mean. I felt the handwriting recognition was fairly good.

In conclusion, if you like educational video games and are a very disciplined, consistent person, this game might be able to help you learn new words. However, I think for most people this game will get old after only a few weeks or less, so you may want to reconsider purchasing this game.

Boost your vocabulary!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: December 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

My Word Coach allows a person the chance to learn new words and their definitions in the English language. I am enjoying this game. It appears that DS is doing it again with the release of more educational games. I have the Brain Age 2 game and this is a great addition to the educational and memory game series produced for the Nintendo DS. These types of games allow for players of all ages to test their knowledge, skills and abilities with words. I have not unlocked all the games yet. I have played about three or four different games so far and it appears I will have the opportunity to unlock more as I play each level.

Types of word building games:
Missing Letter (fill in the blank)
Building Blocks (use the blocks to spell the words from the given list)
Word Pasta (basically unscramble the words)
Match words to their definitions

My favorite thus far is the Building Block game.

The one thing that annoyed me was the useless dialogue your "word coach" gives you about your progress. I like graphs and pie charts, so it would be much easier to give me the information in a nice glossy and colorful chart than a long winded explanation from the "word coach."

In all, this game is great for kids and adults alike.

Who said learning can't be fun?

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