Came across this new website/game/virtual environment for learning Mandarin Chinese. Looks like an interesting approach (although I haven't tried it). I wish it was Japanese instead, but the link might be of some use to forum members exploring Chinese.

http://enterzon.com/

Ah! I had that idea forever ago, but it was for a MUD lol. Not that I would ever act on my ideas. But maybe this will inspire someone to make something similiar in Japanese.

I think something like this is a good idea, but this is kind of difficult to use. There is too much English, and when you do see Chinese, it is way too hard for someone who knows nothing about Chinese.

My idea would be something along the lines of an interactive Total Physical Response type program, where it starts EXTREMELY simple, just teaching basic objects, like tree, cat, etc., then slowly building up where you can interact with the objects based on the commands they give, like "put the cat in the tree." Eventually, if you play the game enough, you could respond to basic commands like that, and then work up to much more difficult stuff, like "wait until Lee turns around before you throw the ball" or something like that.

From what I have read, Total Physical Response can actually teach quite a bit, and seems pretty well suited for an interactive computer program. Anybody care to make that for me (in Japanese)?