How can you learn a language in a virtual world? Explanations on where and how you can learn a language in Second Life, Open Sim, World of Warcraft, Minecraft and other MMORGs. A special session on EMOTING and - as announced - the idea of a language school.
Learning2gether presentation: How can you learn a language in a virtual world
1. How can you learn a language in
a virtual world?
let‘s talk online sprl
Januar 2003
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2. About let‘s talk online
2003 Jan let‘s talk online started as live online language
school
EU funded LANCELOT, 23 EU partners to develop
a teacher-training course for language
2005 Sept
teaching in virtual classrooms
Training center LANCELOT School GmbH
2007 Sept
EU funded AVALON 26 EU partners to explore
2008 Jan Second Life for language learning
2009 Nov Virtual Round Table Web Conference
2010 Dec EduNation Islands, 30 residents incl. 6
Universities
2011 May DaFWEBKON (for teachers of German)
SLanguages Annual Symposium
2012 May let‘s talk online sprl registered in Brussels
EU funded CAMELOT (proposal)
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3. Q: What is web 3.0 going to be like?
Web 1.0 = Read only
Web 2.0 = Read and Write Web
Web 3.0 = ?
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4. Web 3.0
Web 1.0 = Read only SPEAK
Web 2.0 = Read and Write Web
Web 3.0 = Read, Write and ...
> Synchronous Computer Mediated Communication
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16. Steven L. Thorne
http://iatefl.britishcouncil.org/2012/sessions/2012-03-22/plenary-session-steven-l-thorne
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17. How EMOTING in Role Play
•can extend students' command of the
language
•and challenge their written proficiency
in situ.
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18. Part I What is Role Play?
A role play (RP) is an improvised story composed of chains
of actions and reactions between players so
•it is a good idea to prepare a list of verbs, adverbs and
adjectives and set expressions
•if you intend to do this with non speakers.
•you decide on your interaction with other players on the
spot.
•in an RP you are NOT an actor on stage replaying a
prewritten story:
•your role play is live, unpredictable and living in the
moment you create it.
•sll players involved are equally responsible and allowed to
drive the role play,
•Therefore all participants need to actively participate.
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19. Part I What is Role Play?
For example if A takes a knife and threatens B, then B should be
given the chance to react:
--> B struggles, negotiates a way out
--> A then reacts to B's reaction - negotiate or not, and so forth.
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20. Part II What is and Why EMOTING?
Emoting is what turns a dialog into a descriptive story full of
actions and interactions.
Despite the wealth of visual clues in SL about the location there
is a need to make up for the lack of avatar's motion and actions
in situ.
--> RP is always in writing (not voiced) because it is hard to
determine WHO you are speaking to and in WHAT TONE or
inflection. (eyegazing effect+ avatar movements considering the
speed of the action)
--> Avoid using an Emote Hud and Gestures
--> Players are not necessarily looking at the persons they are
talking to during the action, even if they could show facial
expressions, it would probably not be seen by other players.
--> Some things can only be emoted because you don’t have the
poseball or gesture to show what is happening to your avi.
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21. Part III Senses, Action and Feelings
YOUR SENSES
Express what you hear smell, see and how.
When you are reacting to something, how do you know about it?
for example:
/me sniffs the air, furrows her eyebrows and stutters "I forgot to
turn off the flat iron!“
ACTIONS AND FEELINGS
Your actions need to be imagined ("seen" in writing) by others so
use more elaborate verbs than look at, take etc... to give a real
flavour to your action.
for example : stare, glance, examine, grab, hands over, etc...
Express your state of mind (not feelings) naturally in the flow of
the action, what you would do in the situation you are in.
/me rummages in her pocket with a MALICIOUS grin on her face,
pulls out an apple and throws it straight at you.
In this situation what do you do? sway, catch or get knocked over
by the apple? Copyright let‘s talk online
22. Part IV Practice
1) In Second Life you emote by typing "/me" or *Verb*
*verb* is for a SHORT description of emotional action
You use * * to express actions like laugh, giggle, chuckle, snicker,
cry, weep, wave, etc. Any type of action.
....... Give it a try
/me *coughs hard*
2) "/me" is for longer descriptions of actions within an
interactive situation; it removes the colon before your name
hence a third person verb
"/me jumps in terror at the sudden shrieking sound coming from
the attic."
Every action seen, smelled or heard by others basically needs to
be emoted. For example: --> points, jumps, falls, crawls, lurks,
spies, etc.
Any type of action. --> arching an eyebrow, narrowing the eyes
at someone, rolling your eyes, scratching your head, your butt
etc.
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23. Part V LET‘S EXPLORE
/me pushes the door of the pub and comes in.
Why is this very dull?
...
Try to extrapolate on this sentence with /me + verb + ajectives,
adverbs, sounds, in the chat.
....
You can also describe what something of yours is doing :
Your eyes...nose...legs...arms...fingers... shoes.... pet
Use a possessive with the good old apostrophe+s
/me's spine shivers as she enters the crowded smoky pub alone.
....
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24. Part V LET‘s EXPLORE
'S can also be used for the contraction with your name and "is."
Such as...
/me's a lovely little robot who loves watching the stars twinkle
on a bright full moon night.
Give it a try about your avatar..
.........
"Direct speech"
Example of a good sentence (methinks):
/me grabs the hot cup of chocolate milk handed over to her,
wraps her cold fingers around the object and sip the hot brown
liquid gently so as not to burn her lips "hmmm this feels good".
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25. Part VI SOME BASIC RULES IN RP
•DO not use type TXT chat like LOL, ROFL, GR8T words, use full
words.
•Do not act for other players, example:
/me's friend decides to seize the apple and throws it back to
Cyber.
•Don't be a TEFLON character or Godmoding (a character that is
above everything and is never hurt)
OOC - Out of Character discourse
If for any reason you need to turn off the gas RL or need to ask a
question that is not intergral to the story you need to specify
that your intervention is ((out of Character))
for this you need to type ((your text)) so other players know
where you are at. ((BRB)
**************
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26. A new language school?
Romantic Language
•Focuses on text chat versus voice chat
•Focuses on receptive skills versus productive skills
•Focuses on online dating
•Uses translation tools
•Assists in creating appealing profile
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