Sunya: Week 3

Hi Everyone

This week I continue to learn English at English City (Language Lab). When I got there, I went to check for available classes and event on dashboard. I wanted to book for an event first and then class. I was not sure the available programme at the time I was there. I went back to welcome area getting help from student advisers one who will be there all the time to clearify whether it is a class or event. I was told that it is an event I can join. I went back to dashbord and booking that event.

It was City Event located at Sport Area (in English City Activity), 7am-8am Australia/Sydney, teaching by Elaine Bergan. I went there early so I have a chance to look around and show everyone photo.

At sprot centre

Waited for a while, now everyone turned up, Meeting point

Elaine, teacher explain the role-play activity. We are divided into three group: Burglar, Police and Neighbour.

After meeting point seperate to play the role

When teacher who want to be a burglar, no one want to be a burglar I valunteerd to be and another student. I was given a desription of being burglar that I will go to burglarized three homes in this neighbourhood. I did not burglar the one I am in now but I was looking for the next house to burglar. My job: walk around the house and look inside the windows. If anyone sees me, run away.

I did not take a photo when I went to different house.

here police, burglar and neighbours and me

Wait for a while, I heard many people complaining about missing stuffs in the house. I went outside saw  a burglar had been caught. There was a burglar, police and neighbour shouting at the burglar while police investigating her. She admised that she did because she need television an the other stuffs sale so she can have some money to feed her three children. Everyone performed well and I though it was a good role play English conversation lesson that will give me some background knowledge when I would like to use Second Life teaching English. 

I then went to business conversation class. There was two student including me and the other Chilian student who is an Engineer wantting to improve English conversation, named Guillermor. My teacher name is Bette Jarman, from USA. The lesson starts by letting student introduce oneself. After introducing ourselves, teacher told us that she is from the USA and at that time she told use that she did not want to go outside because it is very, the temperatur reach over 40 cencious, it was very, very hot I said. Then we was given a task of role play to order food from restaurant. She is restaurant owner and I am a customer. I ordered Thai food and my friend order pizza. So far since I have studied English in second life I believe the teaching pedagogy is very similar to real life classroom but the differnt is that when we talk we can see each other through avatar not in real person. She help my friend to correct pronunciation. She gave me an advise on how to greet when answering the phone as a restaurant owner by saying name of restaurant first so customers can remember the place and follow by what you would like to order.

  

Above all, I believe that the potential of second life to the area of teaching and learning English particular speaking. For example, Thai students in Thailand do not have many opportunities to use English in authentic settings and generally have low self-efficacy and poor attitudes toward English language learning. However, Second Life, in which learners travel through virtual spaces to engage in collaborative learning with native English speakers (NESs) and pick up language usage in naturalistic contexts, provide a possibility for a less stressful and more enjoyable environment to use the English language (Roed, 2003)