Since we are constantly searching for new ways to help study abroad students learn languages before, during, and after their trips, we were delighted to find a new, extremely portable way to do so. Not only is PlaySay handy and portable, it is available in Japanese and Chinese as well as Spanish! The system consists of audio image flashcards that are available in audio files to learn each word pair in either language direction. You can put these on your iPod or cell phone to easily review vocabulary anywhere you happen to be.
A really cool aspect of the PlaySay program is what is offered:
- Chinese offers preparation for the HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) levels 1-4, as well as the Integrated Chinese textbooks, and the New Practical Chinese Reader series. While studying Chinese recently, my class used the Integrated Chinese textbooks and I painstakingly made hundreds of flashcards by hand… I wish I had known about PlaySay!
- For Japanese, you can get vocabulary for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), grammar dictionaries, common phrase books, and several others such as Japanese for Busy People.
- For Spanish learners, flashcards are available for learning and practicing verbs, as well as vocabulary and textbooks too.
Since the flashcards are available through instant download, you can get started right away. We found PlaySay to be an easy to use, highly effective way to practice, learn, and retain relevant vocabulary for Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish.