راز نوشتاری اعداد در زبان انگلیسی

Ancient Number System - Arabic Letters

 

آیا تا به حال از خود پرسیده اید که چرا اعداد از یک تا ۹ در زبان انگلیسی به این صورت نوشته می شوند. واقعیت این است که ، دلیل شکلی این اعداد در تعداد زاویه ها یی است که در ساختار هندسی این اعداد وجود دارد . مثلا در عدد صفر زاویه ای وجود ندارد و در عدد ۱ یک زاویه ودر عدد ۲ دو زاویه است و ...  بهتر است که خودتان تصاویر بالا را با دقت نگاه کنید. این مطلب را به این خاطر اینجا اورده ام که فکر کردم که شاید برای خوانندگان جالب باشد و الا خودمان هم می دانیم که فلسفه ساختاری این اعداد شاید به این صورت نباشد.  

Frequently Asked Questions about Word Up

 
  General Questions
  For EFL / ESL Teachers
  For EFL / ESL Students

  General Questions

How does the game work?
Before play begins, each player takes a question sheet and clips it to a question sheet holder. Each sheet contains a set of 28 questions plus answers. The questions are in four colour-coded categories: Missing Word (Orange), Crossword Clues (Green), Multiple Choice (Blue) and Spelling (Yellow) (see sample question sheets). During the game, players throw the dice and move their pieces around the board (see the board and other components). If they land on a square bordered by one of these colours, they are asked a question from the corresponding category by the player to their right. If they answer correctly, they earn a scoring token of the appropriate colour and another throw of the dice. If they answer incorrectly, their turn is over and the next player to the left throws the dice to begin his or her turn, and so on. The first player to collect two scoring tokens of each colour is the winner. The game also involves strategy and luck through the 'Word Up' cards plus option, penalty and bonus squares. TOP
How many can play?
With 'Word Up - Complete Home Edition', 2 to 6 players or teams can play in a single game. With 'Word Up - Classroom Pack', up to 12 players or teams can play in two games. TOP
Can students of various abilities play Word Up together?
Yes. The questions are arranged into five levels of difficulty, with level 1 being the easiest and level 5 the most difficult. Each player answers questions from the level best suiting his or her ability. TOP
How many times can someone play before having been asked all the questions?
A player may play Word Up 160 times before having been asked all the questions. TOP
What age groups can play?
Word Up is suitable for players of any age. While questions from the lower levels of difficulty may often be more suitable for younger players with less-developed English language skills, none of the questions have been written specifically for children and all may be used with players from any age group. TOP
Can Word Up be played by native speakers of English?
Yes. While Word Up was designed for learners of English as a second or foreign language, it may also be used as an educational game for native speakers wishing to improve their language skills. Many of the questions in the higher levels will still be found challenging, and students will especially enjoy having their vocabulary, general knowledge and spelling abilities tested. The game can also be made more challenging for native speakers by limiting the amount of time they have in which to answer the questions to 5 or 10 seconds. TOP
Who created the game?
Word Up was created by Matthew Errey, an Australian ESL teacher with over fifteen year's experience teaching students of all ages from Thailand, Japan, Korea and France. Additional input was provided by a number of his ELT colleagues who helped in checking and grading the questions, in testing the game in their own classes, and in improving the general design and 'playability'. Word Up has also been assessed and refined by Games and Names of New York, a company specialising in board game development. To find out more about Matt and how he developed Word Up, read the EnglishClub.com interview. TOP
How can I purchase the game?
The latest editions can be purchased online from this web site (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover/Novus accepted). To ensure confidence and security, credit card payments are taken on our behalf by CCNow, an online retailer based in Delaware, U.S.A. After a customer makes a purchase, CCNow sends us details including the customer's name and e-mail address plus the shipping address and the type and number of games ordered, but never the credit card details. We will then send the order by economy airmail (delivery time is from 7 - 28 days depending on the destination). All sales are covered by a 60-day money-back guarantee. (More details here.) TOP
 

  For EFL/ESL Teachers

Why use games in teaching English?
There has been quite a lot of research done on the use of educational games in general, and on using games to teach English in particular (if you're interested, take a look at the selection of extracts from books and articles we've put together). What has emerged from this is that games are now being be seen not merely as 'filler' activities in ELT, but as an important part of any language teaching program. They motivate students and help to create a relaxed atmosphere which in itself has been found to facilitate learning. They provide meaningful contexts in which the various language skills can be practised and developed and, with games such as Word Up, they can also play a role in language acquisition. They are also useful in developing class cohesion and in encouraging enthusiasm for the essentially difficult and often frustrating task of learning a foreign language. And, put simply, they help to make learning and teaching fun, which in itself may be a good enough reason to use them. TOP
What language skills does Word Up test and develop?
The game tests and develops a wide range of English language skills. Reading and pronunciation are practised and developed throughout the game as players ask each other the questions. Aural comprehension is practised not only when players listen to their own questions, but also as they listen to other players' questions and answers. They will be motivated to do this as the outcome will directly affect their own standing in the game, and also because they will simply enjoy the suspense of waiting to find out whether the answers they themselves have in mind are correct.

Many aspects of grammar and usage are tested and developed, especially in the Missing Word and Multiple Choice categories. These include tense forms, parts of speech, structural awareness, the use of idioms and phrasal verbs, etc. Vocabulary is tested and developed to some degree in all the categories, but especially in the Crossword Clues category, while Spelling is tested in its own category (both British and American spellings are included). A broad range of general knowledge covering geography, history, science and the arts, etc., is also tested. In addition, as all informal communication during the game should be in English, spontaneous communicative skills are also constantly practised. TOP
Is the game an effective teaching tool?
Yes. As a result of the high level of interest stimulated by the friendly competition involved, each player will concentrate not only on their own questions and answers, but also on those of other players. This will lead to a relatively high level of retention of many of the language elements covered during a particular game. The wide range of these elements will allow a player's English to develop on many fronts, including reading, speaking and listening skills, grammatical awareness, vocabulary, spelling, use of idioms, etc. The game will also help to make learning English enjoyable and help to create a positive attitude towards the study of the language in general. (Read some reviews and testimonials). TOP
How will I know how to use the game in a classroom?
Each set comes with a 4-page Guidelines for Teachers insert covering many topics, including 'Getting Started', 'Introducing the Game to a Small Class', 'Introducing the Game to a Large Class', 'Levels of Difficulty', 'Pre-teaching', 'After the Game', 'If Time is Running Out', 'When to Use Word Up', 'Skills Practised and Developed', as well as a section for 'Frequently Asked Questions'. (This insert is provided in addition to the Rules of Play.) TOP
At what stages of a course should I use the game?
Word Up may be used at various stages during a course. Towards the beginning of a course it may be used to provide an informal, non-threatening context in which students can get to know one another and begin to feel comfortable in the class. Also, by observing your new students playing at this stage, you will learn much about their respective strengths and weaknesses. Later in the course you may wish to use the game as an occasional break from the regular teaching program. This will not only provide a fun activity, but also quite likely test and reinforce at least some of the material already covered in the course. The game may also be used as an enjoyable 'break-up' activity at the end of term or at the completion of an entire course. In addition, the game may be used whenever many students are absent and you feel it best not to proceed with the regular course of study, or when you are filling in for another teacher and haven't had the chance to prepare a lesson. TOP
What is my role as the teacher?
If the game is being played for the first time, you'll need to demonstrate how it works and set appropriate levels of difficulty for your students. During the game, you can help out with pronunciation where necessary or briefly explain why a particular answer is correct or incorrect. If several groups are playing simultaneously, you may wish to move from group to group, helping out as necessary. If a small class is playing, you may even like to join in. There is plenty of scope here for fun as you make 'mistakes' with your answers, slap your forehead in dismay, and generally amuse the group with your 'below-standard' English. TOP
How do I know if the game is suitable for my students?
The game should be suitable for all learners of English as a second or foreign language except for absolute beginners or possibly those whose English is approaching fluency, though in this case many of the questions in level 5 will still be found challenging. The minimum requirements for beginners are the ability to read simple English and to understand simple spoken English. TOP
How long does it take to play the game?
A game involving two to six individual players usually lasts between 30 and 45 minutes. Team games sometimes take a little longer. Games lasting up to an hour may be played by increasing the target number of scoring tokens to three of each colour. There should be enough questions in each set and enough scoring tokens to make this variation quite workable. Quicker games may be played by either limiting the amount of time allowed for a player to answer a question, or by reducing the target number of tokens to one of each colour. Games lasting for a fixed period of time may also be played, with the player having collected the most tokens after twenty minutes, for example, being the winner. TOP
How many games will I need?
This depends on both the size of your classes and on the number of students you would like to have participating in each game. Up to six students may play individually, or, if teams are formed, up to twelve (or even more) may participate in a single game. Having several smaller groups playing simultaneously will, however, provide greater scope for each student to practise and develop their English. Ideally, there should be enough games available to allow two to six students to play individually in each of several concurrent games. With this in mind, we have recently released 'Word Up - Classroom Pack' which contains enough components for two games. TOP
Should I encourage my students to play Word Up in their free time?
Yes. As all the answers are provided, it is quite possible for students to play Word Up outside a classroom. Once students are familiar with the game, they may be encouraged to play with their classmates, friends or family members at any time. While the added input from a teacher will obviously be lacking, playing the game will still be an enjoyable and beneficial experience. TOP

 
  For EFL/ESL Students

How can playing Word Up improve my English?
Playing Word Up can improve your English in many ways. When you play, sometimes you will listen to and answer questions and sometimes you will read questions to another player. This means you will practise reading, speaking and listening. Also, the questions you are asked will test your vocabulary, spelling, grammar, general knowledge, etc. When you can't answer a question correctly, you will learn something new when you hear the answer. And when you listen to other players answer their questions you may learn something new; maybe a word you didn't know, maybe how to use a word correctly in a sentence, or maybe an idiom such as 'Keep it under your hat', and so on. You won't remember everything, of course, but because you will be interested to hear the answers, you will remember many of the new things you learn, and this will definitely help you to improve your English. TOP
Can I play with my friends if our English abilities are different?
Yes. The questions are in 5 levels of difficulty, with each player answering questions from their own level. If you and your friends' abilities are different, you can still play together with some of you answering easy questions from the lower levels and some of you answering more difficult questions from the higher levels. TOP
How do I know which level I should answer questions from?
If you are not sure which level you should answer questions from, look at some question sets from the different levels until you find one in which you can answer around half the questions correctly. The level this question set comes from is the best level for you.

As your English improves, you will move up through the levels. When you are able to answer nearly all of the questions on a level correctly, it is time to move up to the next level. TOP
How good does my English need to be?
You need to be able to read simple English and to understand simple spoken English to play Word Up. If you can understand most of what you are reading here, your English is good enough to play the game. TOP
Can I play with my friends and family at home?
Yes. All the answers are included, so you don't need a teacher to tell you if an answer is correct or not. When you answer a question, the player who asked the question will then check your answer. If it is not correct, he or she will tell you the correct answer. TOP

WORDUP

مقدمهWORDUP:

Word Up يك نوع بازي جهت آموختن زبان انگليسي مي باشد. Word Up شامل هزاران سوال همراه پاسخ آنها مي باشد كه در چهار گروه كلمات گمشده ( Missing Word) ، عبارات جدولي(Crossword Clue ) ، انتخاب چندتايي (Multiple Choice) و هجي كردن (Spelling) در پنج سطح مختلف از مقدماتي تا پيشرفته دسته بندي شده است.بازيكنان در گروههاي سني مختلف و توانائي هاي متفاوت مي توانند به سوالات سطح خود پاسخ دهند .Word Up مي تواند بعنوان يك سرگرمي در كلاس و يك روش لذت بخش جهت بهبود زبان انگليسي در خانه مورد استفاده قرار گيرد.

اگر شما يك معلم يا يادگيرنده زبان انگليسي ESL ( زبان انگليسي به عنوان زبان دوم )  (English as a Second Language) مي باشيد، مطمئن باشيد كه سرگرمي موثر و خوبي يافته ايد.

سه ويرايش از اين بازي موجود مي باشد:

 1- Junior Word Up : شامل Level 1 ,2 (شامل 1792 پرسش و پاسخ) همراه با يك سري وسائل بازي

 2- Complete Edition : شامل Level 1 - 5 (شامل 4480 پرسش وپاسخ) همراه با يك سري وسائل بازي

3- Classroom Pack : شامل Level 1 -5 همراه با دو سري وسائل بازي

سوالات شما : 

1ـ اين بازي چگونه انجام مي‌شود؟

2ـ اين بازي توسط چند نفر انجام مي‌شود؟

3ـ آيا دانش‌آموزان با سطح دانش مختلف مي‌توانند با يكديگر بازي كنند؟

4ـ چند مرتبه يك فرد بايستي بازي كند تا كليه سؤالات پرسيده شود؟

5ـ اين بازي براي چه گروه سني مي‌باشد؟

6ـ آيا اين بازي جهت افرادي كه زبان محلي آنان انگليسي است، مي تواند مورد استفاده قرار گيرد؟

7ـ مخترع اين بازي چه كسي است؟

8ـ چگونه اين بازي باعث بهبود زبان انگليسي مي‌شود؟

9ـ آيا مي‌توانيم با دوستانمان كه داراي سطح زبان انگليسي مختلف هستند بازي كنيم؟

  10ـ چگونه من سؤالات سطح خود را مشخص كنم؟

11ـ براي بازي با Word Up بايد زبان انگليسي ما در چه حدي باشد؟

12ـ آيا مي‌توانيم با دوستان و خانواده خود در خانه بازي كنيم؟

1ـ اين بازي چگونه انجام مي‌شود؟

قبل از شروع بازي هر بازيكن يك برگه سؤال برداشته و با گيره روي كارت نگهدارنده سؤال قرار مي‌دهد. هر برگه داراي 28 سؤال با پاسخ مي‌باشد. سؤالات در چهار گروه كلمات گمشده ( نارنجي )، عبارات جدولي ( سبز )، انتخاب چندتائي ( آبي ) و هجي كردن ( زرد ) دسته‌بندي شده است. در طول بازي، بازيكنان تاس را پرتاب كرده و مهره خود را در محيط تخته بازي حركت مي‌دهند. با توجه به رنگ مربع، يك سؤال از رنگ مربوطه از بازيكن توسط فردي كه سمت راست وي نشسته است پرسيده مي‌شود، اگر پاسخ صحيح داده شود يك نشانه از رنگ مربوطه دريافت مي‌كند و دوباره تاس را مي اندازد. درغير اينصورت فردي كه سمت چپ او نشسته است تاس را مي‌اندازد و به بازي ادامه مي‌دهد. اولين بازيكني كه دو نشانه از هررنگ جمع‌آوري كند برنده محسوب مي‌شود. بازي شامل تدبير و شانس در كارتهاي Word Up و مربع انتخاب ، جريمه و شانس نيز مي باشد.

2ـ اين بازي توسط چند نفر انجام مي‌شود؟

2 تا 6 نفر يا تيم و در صورتي كه بصورت تيمي بازي انجام مي شود بازيكنان بيش از 12 نفر نباشند.

3ـ آيا دانش‌آموزان با سطح دانش مختلف مي‌توانند با يكديگر بازي كنند؟

بله، سوالات در پنج سطح مختلف از سطح يك كه ساده ترين سطح مي باشد تا سطح پنج كه مشكلترين سطح مي باشد دسته بندي شده است و بازيكن ، سوالات سطح مناسب مربوط به خود را با توجه به توانائيش پاسخ ميدهد.

4ـ چند مرتبه يك فرد بايستي بازي كند تا كليه سؤالات پرسيده شود؟

يك بازيكن لازم است 160 مرتبه Word Up بازي كند تا كليه سؤالات پرسيده شود. هر بازي 30 تا 45 دقيقه طول مي‌كشد.

5ـ اين بازي براي چه گروه سني مي‌باشد؟

Word Up براي كليه گروههاي سني مناسب است. سؤالات از سطوح پائين براي بازيكنان جوان با مهارت زبان انگليسي كم مي‌باشد و هيج سؤالي بطور مشخص براي بچه‌ها تهيه نشده است و همه گروههاي سني مي‌توانند از آن استفاده كنند. (با توجه به شرايط آموزشي كشور ما توصيه مي‌شود افراد با حداقل سطح علمي اول دبيرستان از اين سرگرمي استفاده نمايند.)

6ـ آيا اين بازي جهت افرادي كه زبان محلي آنان انگليسي است، مي تواند مورد استفاده قرار گيرد؟

بله، Word Up براي يادگيرندگان انگليسي بعنوان زبان دوم يا زبان خارجي طراحي شده است و مي‌تواند بعنوان يك بازي آموزشي جهت افراد محلي كه مايلند مهارت‌هاي زبان انگليسي خود را افزايش دهند مورد استفاده قرار گيرد. اكثر سؤالات در سطوح بالا به تلاش بيشتري نياز دارد و دانش آموزاني كه توانائي لغات، دانش عمومي و هجي كردن آنها مورد آزمايش قرار مي‌گيرد، لذت مي‌برند.

7ـ مخترع اين بازي چه كسي است؟

Word Up توسط Matthew Errey ( ماتيو اِرِي ) كه يك معلم ( ESL ) استراليائي با بيش از 16 سال تجربه آموزش دانش آموزان با سن‌هاي مختلف در تايلند ، ژاپن ، كره و فرانسه مي‌باشد اختراع شده است. علاوه بر اين تعدادي از همكاران وي در چك كردن و طبقه بندي سوالات با استفاده آن در كلاسهاي خود به او كمك كرده و طراحي عمومي و قابليت بازي Word Up را بهبود دادند. Word Up توسط يك شركت آمريكايي كه متخصص در "Board games" بنام نامها و بازيها (Games and Names of Newyork) مي باشد مورد ارزيابي و بازنگري قرار گرفته است.

بخشي از مصاحبه با مخترع Word Up

س: كلمه Word Up از كجا آمده است؟

ج: Word Up نام شعري است كه در دهه 80 توسط افرادي بنام كامِئو (Cameo) كه امريكائي آفريقايي تبار بوده‌اند، بعنوان سلام (درود) عاميانه يا روشي جهت ابراز توافق با يكديگر خوانده مي‌شد و فكر مي‌كنم هنوز هم در آنجا اين كلمه استفاده مي‌شود و بهترين نام براي اين بازي مي‌باشد.

س: به نظر شما سه مزيت اصلي Word Up چيست؟

ج: 1ـ اين بازي، آموزش همراه با سرگرمي مي‌باشد و خسته كننده نيست و بطور مداوم بازيكنان را به يادگيري ترغيب مي‌كند.

2ـ ارتباط واقعي و متقابلي با افراد در اين بازي ايجاد مي‌شود كه اين يك مزيت نسبت به بازيهاي كامپيوتري مي‌باشد.

3ـ همه سطوح از مقدماتي تا پيشرفته را شامل مي‌شود.

8ـ چگونه اين بازي باعث بهبود زبان انگليسي مي‌شود؟

بازي كردن Word Up به چند طريق باعث پيشرفت زبان انگليسي مي‌شود. وقتي شما بازي مي‌كنيد، با شنيدن و پاسخ دادن به سؤالات مربوط به خود و خواندن سؤال براي بازيكنان ديگر. بدين ترتيب شما خواندن، هجي كردن، گرامر، اطلاعات عمومي و غيره را تمرين مي‌كنيد. زماني كه شما قادر نيستيد به يك سؤال پاسخ دهيد، با شنيدن پاسخ صحيح، آن را ياد مي‌گيريد. همچنين زماني كه شما پاسخ ديگران به سؤالات را مي‌شنويد چيزهاي جديدي ياد مي‌گيريد. ممكن است شما يك كلمه يا كاربرد آن در جمله را بلد نباشيد يا يك اصطلاح مانند "It's raining cats and dogs" (زماني كه بشدت باران مي‌بارد مورد استفاده قرار مي‌گيرد) و مانند آن را ندانيد. شما همه آموخته‌هاي خود را بخاطر نمي‌آوريد و علاقمند خواهيد بود كه پاسخ را بشنويد و خيلي از مطالبي كه ياد گرفته‌ايد را بخاطر مي‌آوريد و اين بدرستي به بهبود زبان انگليسي شما كمك مي‌كند.

9ـ آيا مي‌توانيم با دوستانمان كه داراي سطح زبان انگليسي مختلف هستند بازي كنيم؟

بله، سؤالات در 5 سطح مي‌باشد و هر بازيكن به سؤالات سطح خودش پاسخ مي‌دهد. اگر شما و دوستانتان توانائي مختلفي داريد، مي‌توانيد با برخي از سؤالات سطوح پائين و برخي از سؤالات سطوح بالاتر با يكديگر بازي كنيد.

10ـ چگونه من سؤالات سطح خود را مشخص كنم؟

با نگاه كردن به برخي از دسته سؤالات سطوح مختلف، درصورتي كه حدود نيمي از سؤالات را بتوانيد بطور صحيح پاسخ دهيد آن سطح بهترين سطح شما مي‌باشد. وقتي كه زبان انگليسي شما بهبود يافت، شما سؤالات سطوح بالاتر را انتخاب كنيد. البته وقتي كه شما قادريد تقريبا به همه سؤالات پاسخ دهيد، به سطح بعدي برويد.

11ـ براي بازي با Word Up بايد زبان انگليسي ما در چه حدي باشد؟

شما بايستي براحتي قادر به خواندن و فهميدن سؤالات خوانده شده، جهت بازي با Word Up باشيد. (توصيه تهيه كننده: افراد 15 سال به بالا با حداقل سطح علمي اول دبيرستان از اين سرگرمي استفاده نمايند.)

12ـ آيا مي‌توانيم با دوستان و خانواده خود در خانه بازي كنيم؟

بله، همه پاسخ‌ها در برگه سؤالات آمده است و شما جهت گفتن درست يا غلط بودن پاسخ به معلم نياز نداريد. وقتي شما به سؤالي پاسخ مي‌دهيد بازيكني كه سؤال را مي‌پرسد پاسخ را بررسي مي‌كند و درست يا غلط بودن آن را مي‌گويد.