Free Rice is not only cool for the it's purpose - to give away rice through the United Nations World Food Program, it's also an addictive vocabulary game. Huh?
From the FAQ:
How does the FreeRice vocabulary program work?
FreeRice has a custom database containing thousands of words at varying degrees of difficulty. There are words appropriate for people just learning English and words that will challenge the most scholarly professors. In between are thousands of words for students, business people, homemakers, doctors, truck drivers, retired people… everyone!FreeRice automatically adjusts to your level of vocabulary. It starts by giving you words at different levels of difficulty and then, based on how you do, assigns you an approximate starting level. You then determine a more exact level for yourself as you play. When you get a word wrong, you go to an easier level. When you get three words in a row right, you go to a harder level. This one-to-three ratio is best for keeping you at the “outer fringe” of your vocabulary, where learning can take place.
There are 50 levels in all, but it is rare for people to get above level 48.
If FreeRice has the rice to give, why not give it all away right now?
FreeRice is not sitting on a pile of rice―you are earning it 10 grains at a time. Here is how it works. When you play the game, advertisements appear on the bottom of your screen. The money generated by these advertisements is then used to buy the rice. So by playing, you generate the money that pays for the rice donated to hungry people.
If you are a "wordie," or simply find the free rice part to be an interesting concept, take a look. So far I have donated 600 grains of rice!
5 comments:
1140 grains of rice before I dragged myself away...
Love it!
What fun! Over a thousand grains before I could pull myself away to blog about it. I added a banner to my site as well. I had no idea I knew so many funky words!
I am worn out.. I can't do it. Level 41 kills me... I can't imagine the people who get to level 48... it just makes my brain hurt, so I had to stop. I'll link to it, but I'm not smart enough to play it.
You know, all of my students use the Free Rice game via Facebook... very interesting. Thought it was a hoax at first, but...
2,250 grains of rice and level 43
Talk about addicting! After I hit 1,000 grains I was determined to do at least 2000 grains of rice and then I decided to quit at the first word I missed. The another. Finally after 2,000 grains and about five words missed, I caved. But I'm immensely proud of getting up to level 43 with only a high school diploma and a lot of reading under my belt.
Reminds me of days of taking the Reader's digest vocab quiz in junior high. I was a junior in high school before I got my first perfect score.
A lot of those words in the rice game are in the Harry Potter books, go figure. This was good fun for a vocab, grammar geeks like me.
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