Now this is a fascinating idea! I cannot pass along EVERYTHING I get, however, this is a really great one that I've got to share.
There will be a 24-hour multilingual conference about using Second Life to Teach. It will be held entirely within Edunation at Second life — the times are:
Starts: 10am PST (18.00 GMT) 23 May 2008
Ends: 10am PST (18.00 GMT) 24 May 2008
This is what I like about this.
What is the best way to teach language?
Immersion.
But not every child can afford a trip to Spain or Italy or China or wherever. With 3D immersive experiences, I believe (researchers please listen) that we could see richer, more meaningful ways to increase language learning.
I believe that languages represent an INCREDIBLE opportunity for 3D immersive worlds. So, pioneering language teachers, get a friend to take you into Second Life (DO NOT GO IN ALONE!) and learn how to navigate. And sign up and head on over to this conference.
Here is their slideshare:
This is the press release.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SLanguages 2008:
Virtual Conference Explores New Frontiers in Language Learning
Barcelona, Spain, 20 March 2008 – – SLanguages 2008 is a 24-hour multilingual conference to celebrate and investigate the use of 3D virtual worlds for language education. The event will be held in Second Life on 23-24 May 2008…
SLanguages 2008 is a 24 hour multilingual conference to celebrate and investigate the use of 3D virtual worlds for language education. The conference will be held within Second Life allowing the participants to exchange ideas and share experiences simultaneously around the world. The online conference is free to attend and includes talks, workshops, discussions and posters on language education using virtual worlds such as Second Life. The events will cover methodologies, teaching tools and experiences.
Second Life is a 3D virtual world that has attracted over 12 million residents worldwide and has become a mainstream phenomenon for education, business and entertainment. Throughout 2007 Second Life has become an important tool for language learning with many universities using the 3D world for language tuition, including Michigan State University and the University of Southampton. “Interest in using Second Life for education has increased exponentially over the last year” says Second Life educational consultant Gavin Dudeney, author of The Internet and the Language Classroom, Longman 2007.
The event is an opportunity for those new to virtual language teaching to learn about the opportunities virtual worlds offer. The conference also allows experienced language educators to share experiences and ideas. “3D virtual worlds such as Second Life offer a unique form of immersive learning not found elsewhere. The SLanguages 2008 conference is the perfect opportunity to see the recent developments in this area and to meet those involved in truly innovative educational projects” says Graham Stanley, who has established the British Council's ‘Learn English Second Life for Teens'.
SLanguages 2008 will be hosted within Second Life on the tropical “EduNation” islands owned by The Consultants-E. The conference starts 10am (PST) Friday 23 May and ends 10am (PST) Saturday 24 May. The seminars will continue to also reach a much wider audience through archives of the event on the www.slanguages.net website.
To register for the conference or for further information, please contact Gavin Dudeney of The Consultants-E or visit the website www.slanguages.net.
The Consultants-E is an educational consultancy company specialising in online education, offering tailored consultancy in technology for education. Their consultants assist companies and educational institutions to integrate innovative technologies into their teaching practices. The company also offers courses in e-learning tools such as Second Life, wikis, podcasts and Moodle. The Consultants-E own and run three private islands in Second Life that foster education and training.
Contact
Gavin Dudeney
The Consultants-E
c/ Cerámica 54
08035 Barcelona
Spain
gavin.dudeney@theconsultants-e
.com Dudeney Ge (Avatar in Second Life)
tag: Second Life, education, web 3d, web3d, learning, language, immersion, teaching
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
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4 comments
Cool idea, I’m just not convinced that Second Life is the place to do it.
This is going to be great! Maybe I’ll take the World Languages Department on a flight through Second Life in early May to get them excited. Thanks for the lead to SLanguages2008 (via Twitter). BeverLee Clary is all signed up!
Rick,
Why do you say SL may not be the place to do it? It’s got real-time voice, video, audio, presentation and workshop possibilities, cuts down on carbon emissions from people flying to real world conferences…
Gavin
Hey!
Thanks for the updates.I am really excited to join this conference.
Comments are closed.