Saturday, 31 January 2015

The Igbo Language Version of the Scrabble



The Igbo Scrabble is a word game ideally for two or three players. But for tournament/championship games, only two players are required. The game consists of forming interlocking words in a crossword fashion on the game board using the various letter tiles. Each player competes for the highest score by using his letters in combinations and locations that best take advantage of the different letter values and premium squares on the board. Play passes from person to person until all tiles are used or no more words can be formed.

The game was first invented by Olisaemeka Gerald Njoku as a sophomore student of linguistics at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 2010. A colleague and friend of the creator of the game, Jason Ubah, and a university lecturer, Ms. Benita Uzoigwe, were both very supportive of the idea of having an Igbo language version of the Scrabble game. Subsequently, the board game qualified as an entry and was duly exhibited to the public from 22nd - 26th November 2010 during the Nigerian Universities Research and Development Fair (NURESDEF) which was hosted by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The innovative board game was part of the success of that fair as the university took the overall first position. Recently, in September of this year, the board game was presented to university lecturers and linguists from different universities in the country, at the Igbo Studies Association (ISA) conference which held at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka campus.



The game is a viable tool for Igbo language teaching and learning. It is brainstorming, tasking and very educative. It has the potential of motivating accuracy, speed in spelling (and writing), speaking and word-building in Igbo and, of course, refreshing the players memory of mathematics since scoring the game involves some mathematical calculations. Therefore, it could well be said that the Igbo Scrabble teaches both Igbo language and mathematics. The Igbo game adopts both practice and internalization strategy to ensure that the language is learnt by the learner. In the learning environment, the game could be played by 2 or 3 players, one of whom must be a communicative competent user of the Igbo language and the learner who can be a first (L1) or second (L2) speaker or learner. However, in competitive environment, 2 – 3 L1 or L2 players could play with a communicative competent user as the umpire.

The Igbo Scrabble equipment consists of the game board, which is a 19 squares by 19 squares grid, 134 letter tiles, a cloth bag (for the tiles) and racks on which players keep their tiles. The 361 squares on the board are of two basic types: premium and non-premium. There are 285 non-premium squares and 76 premium squares: 8 quadruple word squares, 12 quadruple letter squares, 4 triple word squares, 12 triple letter squares, 16 double word squares  and  24 double letter score squares.
 
The rules of playing the Igbo Scrabble are much similar to that of the English version, however, players get to pick 8 tiles at the start of the game. There are however some distinctive rules governing playable words in the Igbo Scrabble game.

TECH GUIDE

Laptops, also known as notebooks, are versatile, portable, come in a range of sizes and boast different levels of features. So, how do you find the laptop that's right for your needs? Just follow the following buying guide on notebook computers and BE GUIDED!
  • Size
  • Speed
  • RAM
  • Hard drive
  • Battery
  • Connectivity
  • "Usability"
  • And so much more...

Consider The Size

How often are you likely to be carrying your laptop? Are you after a notebook to play games and run graphics-intensive programs like photo editing software? Generally speaking, laptops with more features are less portable.
  • Lightweight and ultra-portable notebooks are a great option for people like students who need to carry them everywhere, as they range from under 2kg up to 4kg
  • Midsize and desktop-replacement laptops offer more features and are better suited to gaming and graphics-intensive programs like video and photo editing. They range from around 3kg to 5kg


Speed

Processors are often referred to as the "brains" of a laptop because they determine how fast your computer functions. The speed of the processor is measured in GHz (gigahertz). It's always safest to go with the fastest you can afford.

Consider the RAM

RAM (Random Access Memory) helps your processor perform tasks by acting as a temporary storage point.
  • In short, the more RAM you have, the more programs you can keep open at once, and the faster your computer will go
  • Our laptops range between 2GB and 16GB of RAM
  • A graphics (or video) card acts as a separate processor for rendering the images on the screen
  • Graphics cards draw on their own RAM, so the computer's performance is not impeded
  • This is important for graphics-intensive programs, such as games and movies.

Hard Drive Consideration

The hard drive is where your computer stores your files. Storage capacity is measured in gigabytes (GB)
  • The more GB, the more files you can fit. If you want to store large files like high-quality photos, movies or music you should aim for a range between 500GB and 3TB
  • A laptop used solely for Internet, email and minimal image storage should get away with 250GB or less

Battery

Typical laptop battery life is between three to five hours. If you're travelling and away from a power source for extended periods of time, then consider laptop computers with a battery life of over five hours.

Connectivity

Consider the devices that you want to connect your laptop to. Multiple USB ports are necessities for iPods, digital cameras and external hard drives; also look for FireWire ports.
  • For connecting to monitors and projectors, look for a VGA connection at minimum. Aim for a DVI, HDMI or DisplayPort as well
  • Integrated wireless networking (Wi-Fi) will allow you to connect to a range of different networks without needing any wires or cords

Consider "Usability" Factors

  • Laptops usually come with a pointing stick or a touch pad instead of a mouse. Make sure that you're comfortable using them
  • Also check that the layout and size of the keyboard is easy to use, and that the screen size suits your needs 
  • If you're planning on working outside, check that there is a matte screen option to reduce glare
If you are switching from PC to Apple, or vice versa, it's important to note that Apple products have different shortcuts and a different look and feel to using them. However, making the switch either way is quite easy.

Match Your Lifestyle

Home and Business: Surf the net, work on multiple documents, watch movies, and manage your family photos and music.
  • Size: Look for a portable laptop under 4kg
  • Memory: Aim for the most memory you can, upwards of 250GB
  • Connectivity: Multiple USB ports, Wi-Fi, Firewire and a DVI or HDMI
Students and Travellers: Store your photos, music and videos, surf the Net and work on graphics-intensive programs, like photo editing.
  • Size: Choose an ultra-portable notebook under 2kg
  • Grunt: Look for a processor of at least 2GHz and 2GB RAM
  • Screen: Look for a matte screen to reduce glare when outdoors
Gamers: You'll need a fast, powerful machine to play your favourite games wherever you are in the world.
  • Size: Choose a larger screen, like a 15.6-inch one
  • Graphics: Add a separate graphics card with at least 1GB RAM
  • Connectivity: HDMI, multiple USB, eSATA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth


Thursday, 29 January 2015

New Poetry


WISHMASTER

Snap!
And i make the mannequins
Come to life and clamp
Palms over their loins.

Wand!
And there's a genie band...
Kneeling, making a plea,
Begging wishes of me.

Clap!
And I zip open the flap
Of the earth's oxygen bag
And take a month's drag.



Olisaemeka Gerald

Monday, 26 January 2015

ALL OF ME (I)



If i could afford
A slice of immortality
To the whirlwinds of the world
I would will my sanity.

If i could decipher
All the conspiracies wrought...
I would my torso to a piper
Trade for all that could be bought.

But it is a static world
Unfitting for no genies
Where the sport of a lord
Is the hatred of Gypsies.

Olisaemeka Gerald
ALL OF ME