TEACHING SPANISH IN SECOND LIFE: A CASE STUDY

Dafne GonzálezUniversidad Simón Bolívar

- TISLID'10 -

Virtual Worlds and LT 3D Environments Example: Second Life (SL)

• Avatars• 3D Interactive objects• Replicating places

Our Study - Context

Languagelab.com British private company Previously teaching English in SL Sim especially designed for ELT

Spanish course Spanish for travel Level beginners 10 weeks

Our Study - Methodology Case study: a macro-vision of all the process of

an Action Research. Qualitative research Guiding questions:

How can Spanish be taught in Second Life? How can we design a course to be delivered in SL? Which language approach to teaching is the most appropriate

for SL? How do the affordances of SL impact on all of the above?

Objectives of the research To design a course of Spanish for beginners in SL To implement the course To analyze all the components of the course and its

appropriateness in SL To reflect on the interactive, social and language

learning potential of SL

Researchers:

Our Study – Action Research (AR)Phases suggested by Kemmis &

McTaggart (1988) -fundamentals for each of the cycles of AR:

Plan (designing the course), Action (implementation or

intervention), Observation of the effects of the

action, Reflection, which is the base for

future actions or cycles of the research.

Action Research - Planning Collaborative work : teachers,

coordinator, languagelab staff, invited participants

Teaching method: communicative paradigm: Whole language approach Task-based instruction Functional-notional Total Physical Response

Authentic activities – real-world tasks SL resources – 2D & 3D interactive objects Evaluation: continual – based on class

performance & interviews

Action Research - Implementation

Class walk-trhough 10-week beta course

90-minute classes twice a week (new language / enabling tasks

8 invited participants all teachers Total and false beginners

Evaluation: Weekly feedback surveys teachers logs Indicators of Engaged Learning How Interactive are YOUR Distance Courses?

Action Research - Observation

Weekly meetings (teachers + coordinator) Discuss classes using the data collected during

implementation Make changes to future classes based on data

collected. Online focus group sessions (T-C-P)

First group meeting - videoed for further analysis.

Other meetings- researchers took individual notes and then compared them).

Interviews with individual students.

Action Research - Reflection Reflections on the observation cycle ....

Provided invaluable information on the feasibility of the course

Highlighted changes that needed to be made for the final product: The use of team teaching to facilitate the teaching of

beginners. A change of approach from aural approach to a 4-skill

approach. The inclusion of an SL skills session for the students

prior to course start. The creation of a virtual city especially designed for

this course. The use of web-based resources (wiki, podcasts,

interactive online exercises). A need for self-access materials to reinforce class

sessions.

Slideshow: Class 1 – Introducing the program & teaching helpful vocabulary

http://photopeach.com/album/18hm5cy

Slideshow: Week 2 – Countries + Hotel vocabulary

http://photopeach.com/album/tfad2f

Thanks for your attention!

Dafne Gonzálezdygonza@yahoo.co

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