Language

=Language Learning=

==Virtual worlds provide an excellent context for language learning including learning to speak the English language or languages other than English. There are many uses in the various roles for virtual worlds in education including:==
 * Increase student fluency by speaking with native speakers. (Fluency maintenance)
 * Increase teacher fluency by speaking with native speakers. (Fluency maintenance)
 * Practice language use during role play in lifelike contexts using buildings, costumes and props. (Authentic context for vocabulary acquisition)
 * Take on different roles, genders, species and literary or historical characters.(Authentic context for vocabulary acquisition)
 * Create social spaces for students to use their language. (Learning community)

General & Mixed Language Learning Resources:
> offer free informal language learning experiences for a growing number of languages:English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Romanian, and more! FREE!
 * Virtual Worlds page on e-Languages
 * Calico Virtual Worlds Special Interest Group resources
 * Using virtual worlds information from the eLanguage wiki
 * The SLexperiments blog for language teachers.
 * Avalon Project - Language learning in virtual worlds
 * Virtlantisis a free resource and open community of practice for language learners and teachers in the virtual worlds of Second Life® and OpenSim. They
 * Links, video, Adobe Connect recording and more from Helen Myers and others.
 * [|MyLanguage360] is a commercial company that provides language leanring to many institutions and individuals. they use Jib Unity 3D as an immersive environment.
 * Dogme language learning methods are possible in virtual worlds.

Language Conferences

 * Teaching languages in a virtual world 2010 (TLVW10)
 * SLanguages Conference 2010 10am Second Life 15 October 2010 - Local times around the world
 * TESOL Electronic Village Online 2011 (EVO 2011), an extended online convention about language learning in virtual worlds.
 * Penn State has teleports to spaces for Hindi, Greek, German, Turkish, Korean, Persian, Roman and Japanese.

Go to specific language pages...

 * English
 * German
 * Chinese
 * Spanish

**English Language Learning at the University of Southern Queensland:**
The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) in Australia has been using Second Life with on-campus students from Asian countries who are learning English by immersion. In the business English course, a building in Second Life simulates an office that is used for role play and practice. A series of practice pods allow pairs of students to practice before they role play in front of their peers. (Update Dec 2011: Sadly this build has now been removed from USQ Island)

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