I’ve recently been enjoying Infinit Region, a blog about learning English through D&D. Started in 2011, the first post was about the author’s purchase of the Madness at Gardmore Abbey for 4e. In subsequent posts, the author focuses primarily on their experience learning English through their love of D&D, providing examples and advice for how to do so.
It’s both interesting and inspiring to see their approach. As someone who enjoys learning Japanese through analog games, it’s very much relatable as well. The two points raised in Understanding D&D in English echoes my experience as well. To paraphrase what they wrote:
Whether your main goal is to learn Japanese or to enjoy D&D, there are two things to keep in mind. One is that rulebooks are not things to be read, but to be referenced. Rather than reading from the beginning in order, you can pick and choose what to read based on need and interest. The second point is that English is to be used, not studied. Rather than focusing on vocabulary and grammar in fine detail, you can enjoy it in broader strokes, just what is useful for play. The fact that it is a rulebook also helps with hard to decipher passages since you can infer their content by the surrounding rules and recurring vocabulary.
It’s also a good site for those wanting to learn TRPG, especially D&D, related Japanese because it explains the English text in easy to understand Japanese. The latest post as of this time is a look at Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes.