Virtual Bilingual: Language Learning in Second Life Learning Opportunities in Second Life Serpil S. Sonmez [email_address]

What is SL? Online 3-D virtual world Created by Linden Lab $9.95 Monthly fee

Online 3-D virtual world

Created by Linden Lab

$9.95 Monthly fee

Second Life Users can create their own character (avatar) Resource: http://www.bautforum.com/attachments/off-topic-babbling/4466d1168305043-anyone-here-tried-second-life-avatar.jpg

Users can create their own character (avatar)

-Buildings, clothes, objects, almost anything you can think of: User-created world - (IP rights retained for what you’ve created)

- All users must be over 18 - Average age 33 -43%female -Active users 55% non US residents

User stats Over 4 million unique residents (Linden Labs, 2007) 1.5 million logged in the last 60 days 40,000 world users logged in any time 90,000 premium residents

Over 4 million unique residents (Linden Labs, 2007)

1.5 million logged in the last 60 days

40,000 world users logged in any time

90,000 premium residents

Means of Communication Instant Messaging Voice Chat Text chat Non-verbal gestures & animations

Instant Messaging

Voice Chat

Text chat

Non-verbal gestures & animations

Wandering around the world Fly Walk Teleport

Fly

Walk

Teleport

Educational/Academic Activities You can attend a conference Resource: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://lh3.google.com/_2iAUq63z9gs/RleiN5l-siI/AAAAAAAAA90/cQf8LbMq2IM/s800/bestpracticesb_001.jpg&imgrefurl=http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Txb9c1OPZP0ggd1pJL15_Q&h=605&w=800&sz=99&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=bpZASJLjmBslNM:&tbnh=108&tbnw=143&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsl%2Bconference%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

You can attend a conference

1 st Lx Teaching in SL Conference, 23 June 2007 http://elanguage.edublogs.org/files/2007/07/edunationconf2_aufmotzena2.jpg

Listen/watch Podcasts/Vodcasts Resource: http://www.henryjenkins.org/convergence_culture/participation/ The first conference in a virtual world: Best Practices in Education May, 25, 2007

Watch live TV Resource:http:// www.masternewmedia.org

Read Newspapers

Make Presentations

Attend Lectures

Participate Discussion/Reading Groups

Socialize Resource:unknown

Visit museums

Arts in SL Resource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/11525684@N05/1149389818/

Discussion: Where’s the line between RL&SL? http://blogs.sun.com/SunScience/?page=1

Universities & Campuses An estimated 100 universities and schools in SL (Acc. to the CEO of NMC Florida State University (campus under construction) UFL Princeton Ohio University Harvard Law New Media Consortium Sloan Consortium Aachen University, (Germany) Association for Educational Communications for Technology More… Programs Taught: ESL & Foreign languages Literature Art Composition Programming Natural sciences Economics Law Physics

An estimated 100

universities and schools

in SL (Acc. to the CEO of

NMC

Florida State University (campus under construction)

UFL

Princeton

Ohio University

Harvard Law

New Media Consortium

Sloan Consortium

Aachen University, (Germany)

Association for Educational Communications for Technology

More…

Programs Taught:

ESL & Foreign languages

Literature

Art

Composition

Programming

Natural sciences

Economics

Law

Physics

Florida State University in SL

Florida State University

Language Learners in SL English Japanese Italian Arabic French German Turkish & more… US UK Germany Brazil Japan France Italy Turkey Resource: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pathfinderlinden/199856106/

English

Japanese

Italian

Arabic

French

German

Turkish & more…

US

UK

Germany

Brazil

Japan

France

Italy

Turkey

English Village

ESL- Class

SLOODLE

Education Groups

Multilingual Communities

Cultural Experience Resource:http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1301/1315797558_e9dfe8d980.jpg

An English dictation class in SL

Composition Class

Language Class in Session

What could be some issues with language teaching What could be the pros and cons of teaching and learning in SL?

What could be the pros and cons of teaching and learning in SL?

Pros & Cons Should not be seen as a solution for everything Connecting students in remote areas Providing a platform for teachers & students to meet. Great for role-playing/drama Teachers’ & students’ immediate visual cues are missing Moving in the world is difficult (SL crashes) and time consuming Need to purchase recent computer technology Constantly changing environments Can design classes in game format Students can have their own space to create their own materials and experiment while interacting with others SL is mostly visual, not a text-driven environment

Should not be seen as a solution for everything

Connecting students in remote areas

Providing a platform for teachers & students to meet.

Great for role-playing/drama

Teachers’ & students’ immediate visual cues are missing

Moving in the world is difficult (SL crashes) and time consuming

Need to purchase recent computer technology

Constantly changing environments

Can design classes in game format

Students can have their own space to create their own materials and experiment while interacting with others

SL is mostly visual, not a text-driven environment

Some Suggestions Importance of individualized feedback Clear set of goals Provide space for students to hang around and reflect upon the lessons even when the class is not in session Enable students to interact with each other in groups and pairs Endless possibilities for cultural experiences Activities related to RL experiences

Importance of individualized feedback

Clear set of goals

Provide space for students to hang around and reflect upon the lessons even when the class is not in session

Enable students to interact with each other in groups and pairs

Endless possibilities for cultural experiences

Activities related to RL experiences

Any Questions? Serpil S. Sonmez Ph.D Candidate Multilingual-Multicultural Education Program Florida State University [email_address]