🎮 Do What I Say… and What I Do: My Own Language Learning Process With Video Games

My personnal lists of flaschards

You’ve probably heard me say this before: learn languages with video games. I give this advice all the time. But instead of explaining it in a dozen different ways, why not just show you how I actually do it?

In this post, I’ll walk you through my personal process of learning languages through gaming. It’s the same method I recommend to my students, but here’s how it looks when I apply it myself. I’ve broken it down into three main steps:

1. Input and note-taking

2. Translating and creating flashcards

3. Reviewing and practicing

Let’s dive in.

📝 Step 1: Input and Note-Taking

The first thing is obvious: choose a video game you enjoy. The more content it has -dialogues, quests, storylines- the more input you’ll get and the more likely you are to learn something new.

Once you’ve picked your game, think about the context in which you’ll be playing. For me, I have three setups:

• On my computer

• On my sofa with the PlayStation

• In bed with my Nintendo Switch

Each one requires a slightly different organization.

On my computer, I set up my bookmarks for quick access: WordReference, Quizlet, whatever I need. I use two screens: one for the game, one for Quizlet. Not essential, but it makes things so much easier.

On PlayStation, I always keep a notebook next to me. I divide the pages into columns: one for each language I’m learning, and within that, two columns (source language and target language). If you’re just learning French, you only need English/French. Super simple.

On Switch, I’ve got two options. Either I hit the screenshot button when I see a new word, or I use a note list on my phone. Actually, that same list on my phone is what I use when I’m talking with people in real life, I just jot down unknown words to check later.

The key here is reducing friction. The less effort it takes to note down vocabulary while gaming, the more consistent you’ll be. And consistency is everything.

📚 Step 2: Translation and Flashcards

Once you’ve collected words, it’s time to make them useful. I usually sit down with my notebook, my phone list, or my screenshots and start creating flashcards.

Personally, I use Quizlet. It’s simple and works on both computer and smartphone. But you can use Anki, or even good old paper flashcards. The tool doesn’t matter as much as the habit.

There are two main approaches:

• Translate while you’re playing (gives you context, but slows down the game).

• Write the word down and translate later (faster, but you might forget the context).

I try to balance the two. For example, the other day I saw a Portuguese word I didn’t know (acérrimo). I guessed it meant “ferocious” from context, but when I checked later, it was different. By then, I had forgotten the exact scene, which was frustrating. So, if you can, check right away. But if you’re in the middle of an intense battle or story moment, don’t ruin the fun, just note it and revisit later.

Creating flashcards along the gaming session

Either way, the goal is to turn raw vocabulary into structured flashcards you can review regularly.

🔁 Step 3: Reviewing and Practicing

Now comes the repetition. On Quizlet, I review my flashcards daily. Fifteen minutes a day is enough if you do it consistently. I often do it while listening to music, or in “dead moments” like waiting for a bus.

Keep practicing your lists!

If you’re more old-school, you can use the paper system with four boxes:

• Box 1: words you review every day

• Box 2: every three days

• Box 3: once a week

• Box 4: once a month

When you get a word right, you move it to the next box. If you get it wrong, it stays where it is. That way, you see difficult words more often until they stick. It’s basically a manual version of what an app like Quizlet or Anki does automatically.

A great thing about this method is that once everything is ready and there’s very little friction, it gives you a huge boost of motivation. For example, to be honest, I was a bit lazy these past months after finishing my Galician exams. I wanted to start Portuguese and Japanese, but I needed some time to relax first.

Then I decided to optimize my learning process through video games. And just by setting everything up clearly, I felt motivated again. Suddenly, I wanted to make the most of every learning moment.

Now, when I play and come across a word I don’t write down, I almost feel guilty, like I missed an opportunity to learn. That’s the power of having a clear process: it maximizes your learning and keeps you consistent. On top of that, because you created the lists from your own experiences, you will remember the context as you revise, it helps with long term memory a lot!

But here’s the final step: you need to actually use those words in real conversation. If they just stay in your list, they’re useless. The whole point is to bring them into real life. That could be a group conversation at a local meetup, or a language exchange, easy to find in most big cities or online.

Look for some MeetUp events around your place to practice in real conversations.

As for me, I can offer you different ways to practice. You can join me on Twitch and use the chat to put into practice the words you’ve learned. Or you can take private classes with me, where this exact method becomes part of the lesson: taking what you’ve learned from your day-to-day gaming and applying it directly. If you have doubts or want to use what you’ve learned in context, I’m here to guide you.

Or practice 1-on-1 with an amazing certified French teacher ☺️

One last note: everything I’ve explained here works perfectly for vocabulary, but grammar is a bit different. If you encounter tricky grammar structures or expressions that aren’t clear, looking them up helps, but this is exactly where having a tutor makes the difference. A tutor can guide you through complex vocabulary, grammar patterns, and expressions so you complete your learning journey.

So yes: learn languages with video games, build your vocabulary with a clear process, and when it comes to grammar, get help from a tutor. And if you think I am a right fit, I leave you links below to discuss this opportunity ☺️

Class offers : https://levelupyourfrench.com/produits

Twitch : https://www.twitch.tv/darv_levelupyourfrench

Mail : contact@levelupyourfrench.com