Sunya: Week 4

Foreign language learning in Second Life and the

implications for resource provision in academic

libraries



This article is about foreing language learning in Second Life (SL). Considering that SL is an excellent potential resources for supplementing foreign language class, the article aims to find out what role academic libraries have in this.



The article applies the methodology of qualitative research interviewing 16 participants (15 participants are foreign language learner and one is foreign language language students) over the course of four weeks. The interviews were conducted either face-to-face, on Skype or in SL depending on interviewee preferences and lasted between half an hour to almost one and a half hour each.



The article acknoledges that although SL present plenty of potential for total immersion and distance learning programmes language teaching in SL is still at an experimental stage. It is an early stage of distance learning popularity and libraries will need to ensure that access to electronic resources is wide-spread to support the expansion of distance learning.

SL presents not only potential, technical barries have been mentioned many times. The issue of the fact that SL would be an ideal tool for distance learners, but many of whom might live in less developed countries rises concern about the increase of the digital divide.

What I have learned from reading this article is that SL is not a perfect model for distance learning or foreign language learning. The learners need to have computer and its skill in order to for example learn English as a foreign language. Without those SL is not useful for them.

At some point of its conclusion touch on the assumption is that a virtual classroom in SL sets itself apart from other virtual classroom in that an ordinary classroom is the place to learn a language wheares the SL virtual classrom is the place to practice a language. I believe that this is a good combination for learning Engllish a country such as Thailand and following statement will tell why it shoud be a good combination.



According to Thai government the tenth National Economic and Social Development Plan (2007 – 2011) there is a great need for students to learn English in Thailand. With rapid globalization and a leaning toward an increasingly information-driven economy, Thailand faces the need to cultivate citizens that can competently communicate in English and thereby compete in the global economy. This notion is supported by the Ministry of Education who assert that, “The country now is reforming its educational policy in teaching and learning: transforming and developing the teaching and learning of languages, using authentic materials and learning situations, including the English Programme (EP) aimed at providing full or partial Thai national curriculum subject in English” (2007, p.10). However, officially, the English language is considered as a foreign language in Thailand (Ministry of Education, 2007). Therefore, Thai students do not have many opportunities to use English in authentic settings and as a result have low self-esteem and poor attitudes towards learning English which perpetuates the problem (Zheng et al. , 2009)



References

Zheng, D., Young, M., Brewer, R., & Wagner, M. (2009). Attitude and self-efficacy change: english language learning in virtual worlds. CALICO Journal, 27(1), 205-231.

Hundsberger. S. (2009). Foreign language learning in Second Life and the implications for resource provision in academic libraries arcadia@cambridge: rethinking the role of the research library in a digital age http://arcadiaproject.lib.cam.ac.uk.