The immersive language pilot project on Second Life was initiated in 2012 and involved the use of Second Life for 3 language programmes taught at Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Language and Cultures. The intend of this project is – to provide opportunities to interact naturally with native speakers, – to enhance students’ cultural awareness by exploring various sims (RL and fantasy), – to (informally) measure students oral and written input and output compared to what they get in class – to gauge their level of engagement and motivation when immersed in a 3D virtual environment. Following the success of the project, lecturers have expressed their interest in continuing the project in the second trimester of 2013 and is currently in the planning phase. This presentation is a report of findings collated in the first stage of the project: this includes students and tutors impressions on their experience throughout the trimester and recommendations for implementation of such project in a university environment.
2. Edith Paillat aka Cyber Placebo
Language Technology Specialist @ Victoria
University
Supports teaching @ learning 12 languages
Interests: CoPs & SLA, Immersive environments
and situated learning, experiential approach with
technology
Betsy Quero aka Inspira Alijunaiki
Teacher of English and Spanish FL over 15 years
PhD candidate and Spanish tutor @ Victoria
University
Interests: learner autonomy, language learning
3. “To provide a social and contextualised
environment where learning is viewed
as a social process and whereby knowledge
is co-constructed”.
(Wenger and Lave, 1991) and (Herrington and Oliver, 1995)
Virtual Spain, getting started
El Instituto Español con Wara Ysabel
4. To bridge the gap between the theoretical learning
(formal instruction of the classroom) and the real-life
application of knowledge in the work environment
Catedral de Guadalajara @ Opera Joven El dia de los Muertos @ SLVM
5. Combined with the Experiential approach (Kolb, 1984)
where students would not only “do” and “feel” but reflect and
conceptualise their experience to maximise their level of
participation in consecutive sessions
Oral presentation for the French cohort 20% final mark
Poems & Visual
Arts
on Moya Island
Dancing at the Moulin
Rouge
6. Project background - trim 1 2012 - French only - 3
students
Grant for trim 2
Extended to Spanish level A2 and Italian Level A1
Funding for 5 graphic cards and tutor training
One tutor per language, no SL experience
One month preparation time and equipment
Over 10 weeks, 1h1/2 per session, early morning
In the lab (some from home)
Average time 2 hours preparation
7. Following Herrington and Oliver, 1995
Authentic context
Authentic activities
Multiple roles and perspectives
Coaching and scaffolding at critical times
Expert Performance, modelling
Dancing “Thriller”
on a haunted sim
Ordering Pizza
on Solaria
8. Buying food in Arcachon Visiting a 3rd Art gallery at LEA
Italians and their pets on the Piazza San
Marco
Venezia Visit on a Gondola
9. Exploring Art on Torley Island
Philosophy at the Roman
Discussion at the Moulin Rouge
Driving a French 2CV
10. In the text chat:
Would you consider learning a language in-
world?
Would you consider teaching in-world?
Tell us if you have any experience
11. Implementation Phase
ITS support (firewall ports, hardware and broadband
issues)
Department support, VWs design take a lot of preparation
Inform and prepare your students well
Inform and prepare your guest speakers well
In-world
Plan at least two training sessions (interface, camera,
avatar, etc..)
Know the environment(s) well to coach students well
Get them to explore with a mission (short instructions)
Get them to interact with people you trust
Don‟t lose contact with them – group management
Multi-task as the leader look & act & deliver & think
ahead
12. Explorations
More thematic treasure hunts
Broader than simply linguistic and cultural targets
Improvisation versus controlled
Train guest speakers – less guest speakers
talking time / silences / questions
Not at every session
Give time for contemplation then reflection
Ice breaker recap / mid- / end of session
Propose project early stage
Digital storytelling in a selected setting
Machinima as final outcome?
WHAT NEXT: TRIM2 2013
13. Really difficult when you are not tech
savvy. Sometimes things happened to
environment that you can‟t change
back then you miss the whole
conversation because you try to fix it” -
French B1 This is just a question of taste, but I
dislike the realism of the sims
because the illusion is inevitably
shattered by the unrealistic
behaviour of the
environment, objects,” - French B1
There was a feeling of natural (even
though it‟s virtual!) and authentic
communication (did not feel forced
to participate) – Spanish B1
“I liked having the other native
speakers there, the only thing I didn't
enjoy was having second life classes
on things we hadn't gone over in
class” – Italian A1
14. Together with the quality of selected
guests, the variety of tools at
disposition and the spontaneous
involvement from students, I find the
sessions to have efficiently led the
group to reach the courses goals and
achievements.
Students have appropriately
practised their listening skills and
developed adequate strategies of
comprehension (using virtual
contextual elements)
Being a total beginner implied for me
to go through a process of initiation,
which I must say was “smooth” and
intuitive.
Despite a certain “reluctance” inspired
by a background of more „classical
academic approaches,”.
16. Herrington, J. and Oliver, R. (1995) Critical
Characteristics of Situated Learning: Implications for
the Instruction Design of Multimedia. ASCILITE 1995
[online]
Kohonen, V. 2000. Learning to learn through reflection
– an experiential learning perspective [online]
Kolb, D. 1984. Experiential learning. Englewood
Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Whang F., Bruton J.K., Fall J. (2012) A three-step
Model for Designing Initial Second Life_Based Foreign
Language Learning Activities, MERLOT Journal of
Online Learning and Teaching Vol.8, N0.4 December
2012 [online]
Editor's Notes
What does the next thing to being there mean for a language learner?
EP : Language technology SpecialistSupport 12 languages, maintain labs, search best solution for technology integration in language teachingFormer teacher of French FL and teacher trainer.Interested in developing cognitive skills in language learning through situated learning in immersive environments and Kolb’s experiential approachCyber placeboBorn in 2008, Found a home onEdunation, Informally taught French FL on SL, Developed Teacher SL training program, Developed French FL A1 to B2, Part of several educators’ CoPsBQ has been a teacher of English and Spanish as foreign languages for over fifteen years. She has taught in England, New Zealand, and Venezuela. She is currently a PhD candidate and a Spanish tutor at Victoria University of Wellington . Her research interests include language learning strategies, learner autonomy, ICT in foreign language learning and teaching, ESP vocabulary pedagogy, and vocabulary testing.
Situated learning: Learning is situated in the activity in which it takes place. Learning is doing.Meaningful learning will only take place if it is embedded in the social and physical context within which it will be used. (Brown et al 1989) according to Oliver (2000).Knowledge is situated, being in part a product of the activity, context, and culture in which it is developed and used. [Therefore] learning methods that are embedded in authentic situations are not merely useful, they are essential. (Brown et al 1989).Situated learning occurs when students work on authentic tasks that take place in real-world setting (Winn, 1993).
Experiential approach: http://learningfromexperience.com/ and regarding language learningViljoKohonenhttp://archive.ecml.at/mtp2/Elp_tt/Results/DM_layout/00_10/05/Supplementary%20text%20E.pdfLearning from immediate experience engaging the learners in the process a whole persons,by creating a portfolio, tell their personal avatar stories, machinima, storytelling, discussions and reflection.
Background TRIM 1No funding 3 students French 2nd year– trimester 1 2012Optional – voluntary (intrinsic motivation)Over 5 weeks, twice a week, 2 hours sessionsOral presentation in front of class 10% final markConnexion from homeNo homework just show upTwo reliable French helpers Explored Paris mainly VERY Positive feedbackLittle anxiety with either technology or language
Italian Themes: Shopping for food, clothes, giving opinions, directions (projetto 1)Frenc Themes:Spanish themes (Pasajes) Business, technology, ideologies, hispanic culture, not applicable to SL activities unless elaborate simulationsFrench themes Paris Cafés, Cabarets, Philosophy, Arts and Fashion, organicAuthenticcontexts : Arcachon, Venezia, Napoli, Museum Island, LEA, Solaria / MachuPichu, OperaJoven, SLVM, Costa Rica N’l Parks, InstitutoEspañol / Arcachon, MoyaIsl, Paris, UbYifu, etc..Activities and articulation: Roleplays, questions on location, interaction withobjects, treasurehunts, shows, Expert performance, modelling : Native speakers, tutor & SL coachIntegrated assessment: no italian, no Spanish, Oral assessment 20% final mark
Results to the survey 6 respondents out of 122 had played video games before (GTA and the Sims)None practise language onlineGetting used to the interface 1-5 (1 = very easy) 1x1, 2x2, 2x3For most, customising their avatar was difficult (x4) but 5 enjoyed customising it (identity
Student survey 2:Despite issues with camera controls (3) and that technology was disruptive (5) they all felt immersed exploring the environment and listening to people3 have made friends with people other than their group2 felt too distracted with the environment to focus on language and also 3 expressed the fact that sessions were too early All 6 felt it was a positive learning curve, 2 refreshing, 1 useful, 1 scary and 1 boring (multiple select possible)
Not feeling familiar and confident with the use of technology as a language learning tool.Feeling positive about the way how SL promotes authentic communicationHard to cope with the realism of the sims and the unrealism of the objectsNeed of vocab learning and going over topics already covered in class.
3D virtual environments like SL promote spontaneous and authentic communicationBeing reluctant to try out less traditional language teaching tools.Way of promoting contextualised listening comprehension skills
Edith.paillat@vuw.ac.nz & querobetsy@gmail.comhttp://languagepioneers.pbworks.comhttp://www.victoria.ac.nz/llchttp://flickr.com/cyberplaceboYoutube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2uWuqIc8Vo