If you keep on playing (and if you are a certain type of person you won't be able to stop), you will find your ear tuning to subtle distinctions in rhythm, intonation, and phonology. Though you may not be actually learning the languages, you will be learning to really hear the differences between languages, an excellent place to start.
Like Geoguessr, the game where you guess the locations of Google Street View pictures, The Great Language Game can leave you frustrated by what you don't know, but also occasionally impressed by the accuracy of your gut instincts. Both offer a interactive experience with a wide yet detailed view of the world. Hear the details, and get more familiar with the world by playing a few rounds of The Great Language Game here.
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Arika Okrent is editor-at-large at TheWeek.com and a frequent contributor to Mental Floss. She is the author of In the Land of Invented Languages, a history of the attempt to build a better language. She holds a doctorate in linguistics and a first-level certification in Klingon. Follow her on Twitter.
