Zapdramatic is an interactive roleplaying game series for practicing and discussing communicative behavior. Michael Gibson, the mastermind behind the series, is planning a slow reveal of his relaunched Zap site. He wrote to me that they are “looking for new users to help support our new projects.” I’m a member of Zapdramatic because it gets me a lot of games, which I use in my business English classes, for 35 Candian dollars a year. But you can do many of the games for free: The Zapdramatic negotiation games for adults include The Raise, The Print Shop and Interview with a Vagabond.
The new game I’ve really been looking forward to is Sir Basel Pike Public School. It targets bullying among boys and girls age 10-14 and won’t be launched until 1 October. Part one of the game is already at www.zap.ca/pike. You’ll find it includes playing tennis and doing math; if you’re good at sports and cool-headed in class, you enjoy more respect and independence and can afford to make more unpopular choices. These parts make the game both “gamier” and more realistic.
Check it out yourself. Show it to your kids and their friends and let Michael (michael@zap.ca) know what you think.
First heard about Zap a few years ago from Mark Powell, a great trainer of Business English trainers. See his interview with the organizers of Sprachen und Beruf 2009.
2 Responses
These zapdramatic negotiation games are WONDERFUL. Thank you so much for introducing them to me.
I just have one problem. I must have been hit over the head with a glass bottle by that vagabond ten times now and I can’t find a way to help us both save face. Ha! Im looking forward to trying it with my students – no doubt one of them will be able to show me the path.
Dear Vicki,
Welcome 🙂 ! Those games sure are real puzzles. In this case, you might try going the kind, but “normal” route, talking to the man, letting him get everything off his chest, but not forking over a large amount of your hard-earned money because that could be patronizing … and turns you into the victim, as he really is a greedy little messed-up fellow, isn’t he?
Good luck !