Dogme ELT
a pedagogy for
virtual worlds

What is Dogme ELT?
• A movement and pedagogy
• Alternative to textbooks
• Low tech focus
• Communication is central
• Learning is social
• Constructivism

Wot no syllabus?
• No need for set order / syllabus
• Language learning opportunities emerge
– According to students’ needs
– According to students’ interests

Dogme ELT Principles
• Interactivity
– Engaging learners
– Co-constructing knowledge
• Communication
– Language ‘emerges’ via conversation

Dogme ELT Principles
• Content to engage learners
– Engagement enables learning
– Learner’s voice (beliefs, knowledge,
experiences) are valid content in lesson
• Relevance
– Learners provide content to ensure relevance

Virtual World Experiences
• Social to meet someone
• Immersive to be somewhere
• Building to make something
• Gaming to achieve something
– World of Warcraft and other MMOGs
– Second Life based exercises
– Simulations / Serious Games
• Social
• Immersive

3D Virtual Environments
Apart from Second Life…
• Google Street View
– Virtually visit real places
– No avatars, so not social
– Just immersive in 3D
• Hangout
– Browser-based 3D spaces
• Exit Reality
– Explore web in 3D

Blended Learning
Mix n match tools & activities
• Use virtual worlds for particular strength
– One of 4 experiences
• Combine with other mediums
– Online / offline tools for content
• Video
• Audio
• Text

Implications for using Dogme
• Language lessons / language learning
– Virtual world activities in class
– Virtual world activities for homework
• Focus on enabling language emergence
– Virtual worlds as stimulus
– Conversations / text work = emergence
• Students (help) determine
– Where to go
– What to do

Low Tech
• Low tech teaching in high tech world
– Few tools in Second Life
– Little content
– Focus on experience
• Shallow learning curve
– Students only need to walk and talk
– Teachers as well

Examples of Activities
• Gaming
– World of Warcraft
– Collaborative tasks
• Social
– Conversation practice
– Purposeful interviews
• Immersive
– Descriptions
– Relating to contexts

Examples of Activities
• Building
– Instructions and descriptions
– Collaborative building tasks
• Simulations / Role Plays
– Virtual tours in Second Life & Street View
– Loosely structured simulations

Example Lesson
• Dogme inspired
– Real life materials
– Relevance to student
• 3D immersive experience
– Second Life for virtual field trip
• Combined with other online tools
– Content from Lonely Planet & Google
– Interactive 2D tools
• Whiteboard
• Google Docs

More Dogme if…
• Student chooses more materials
– Finds content (eg restaurant descriptions)
– Chooses activities
• Greater social interaction
– Interview residents in Second Life

Dogme & Virtual Worlds
• Dogme
– Real life materials
– Engage student for communication
– Communication for language
emergence
– Alternative to teaching with textbook
– Guide experiences for communication

Dogme & Virtual Worlds
• 3D virtual environments
– Experiences (immersive, social,
gaming, building)
– Limited video/audio/text content
– Blended learning opportunities
• 2D online
• Offline (physical classroom)

Dogme & Virtual Worlds
• Dogme guides virtual world teaching
– 3D experiences as springboards
– Engaging and authentic
– Lead to communication and emergence
– Low tech approach to virtual worlds

Learn more…
Further information on using 3D virtual
worlds for language education
available on our website…
www.avatarlanguages.com/howweteach.php

Online Language School
• One-to-one language classes
– Spanish
– English
– Other languages
www.avatarlanguages.com

Dogme ELT
a pedagogy for
virtual worlds

SLanguages 2009
This presentation was given at
SLanguages 2009
The Conference for Language
Education in Virtual Worlds
slanguages.net