Second Life calling

Language learners communicating virtually across the world

Abstract

Language learners are motivated to learn when they understand a given context and are able to relate to the authenticity of the situation. Many of these activities are traditionally achieved through role-playing. In Second Life (SL), people from different corners of the globe can participate in live, synchronous communication in a shared virtual space through their virtual representations or 'avatars'. One advantage of SL for such role-play is that the focus is on the avatar, not directly on the language learner. This paper reports the results from a pilot study conducted at a New Zealand polytechnic on the perceptions of learners of English using the multi- user virtual environment of Second Life to complement their learning.