Academic Education in Second Life, what's your two cents?

What if there were foreign language classes in Second Life? Would they actually work? What do you think on this?

There would obviously be enough teachers, as SL spans worldwide...so there would have to be at least one Spanish, French, Italian etc.. person who could teach.

Just like building and scripting with a lesson plan...it would give students who maybe can't afford traveling to another country to be immersed in a language OR can't afford getting a tutor etc...

Thoughts on this!

I'm learning Portuguese (informally) in SL. I suspect my pronunciation sucks, but I can sort of hold a hi, how's it going etc. type conversation and occasionally go more in depth as well. With formal lessons I'd probably be further along, but that's not what either of us want.

So it certainly can work.

If you can learn Welsh. You can learn anything!!.

winganglagogosloshboshgwyndoh.

See, I know!!

As far as I know, there's already a language school in SL, teaching spanish.

While learning languages in SL is fun, arranging the times the class should meet is heck, man! XD

Since some people in SL are in different time zones, have different schedules, etc, etc...it is quite the pain in the arse.

But! In the end, the classes themselves are great!

Would something that combines voice and text or video and text be more effective?

Late last year I was invited by the aforementioned language school to code up something that would seamlessly integrate Skype and SL. I had to decline because I was busy with Wells Fargo, but I did help out their new coder with a few things, since he was new to SL.

Withnail Academy used to do Japanese lessons, which were well attended, but by different people each time, much of the time! There was really no consistant class, as in, few stuck through it each week to get a benefit out of it. We even did a few streaming Pimsleur sessions to get audio, which people liked.

I'm currently working on a degree online through Univ of Maryland, and having been doing their web-based program, I really think SL could do just as good, if not better than that. The issue is not what SL can do, but having an actual educational program backing it; that's the hard part, IMHO. Presentation of the material is the other half. Pre-recorded audio is good, or maybe run Skype in the background for interactive audio (no reason to depend entirely on SL if it doesn't support the features and something else does).

Maybe a sort of passive educational setup for starters would be best, to see what the interest is without tying up people to login at certain times to a group that may or may not be there. A lot of things, such as languages, do take time to learn, and a level of commitment that may not be there... yet.

Thanks to some suggestions, I am planning to try to start a University of Language with some people who know French, English, Spanish, and Esperanto. Perhaps there shouldn't be formal classes, but rather a group in which the people are just immersed in the language...hmmm...well, I'll post another thread a bit later once things get up and running. Yes, in fact, formal classes would be quite hard. But just chatting in the language would make people learn indirectly. Of course there would be some lessons on tenses etc...so you could speak correctly : )

My department at Texas State University - San Marcos, is in the initial stages of building a prototype for teaching French. I think for now, the plan is somewhat like a farmer's market that the student will shop in, learning concepts of quantity, volume, debit, credit, how many items left, managing returns etc. I think the original concept might be a little more ambitious than what we will end up with but it is definitely in the works.

If anyone wants to talk more about our plans, feel free to contact me in SL.

Troy

Whats sad is some people are making money for one of these groups....I am not going to name groups. but there are a few people using SL **** for their ability to make money. If that what sharing the culture experiec was about to form this country islands and groups? This group is charging for learning this languge.

I want to learn a language. But I'd attend a class here in SL only if there was a well-thought out syllabus with a steady schedule. I did learn my parents' language through immersion but I also studied it in school. If anything, if I can't speak the language, I'd at least like to understand it when it's being spoken or typed. Using Skype would help with enunciation.

Watchout some people are charging for learnign a languge. I have been noticing a few groups charging money for japanese languge learning as well.
This is sad indeed.

I am confused, Usagi. Why is it bad that some people are charging for teaching a language? I believe as long as they do not charge an insane amount of money it should be good.

(Heh, should've quoted, shouldn't I?)

I have to concur with Squeedoo. Those who not only happen to speak a language or have a skill but also have training and experience as teachers should not be made to feel like charlatans because they ask to be compensated for their expertise.

Meaning making money is ok, but offering to using LLabs resources really is low. ******** (I am not saying the group name) charging people using LLabs as it way to get is not right. Hell give part of the pay back to LLabs if you going to go around saying it in your croups charter. Why let people abuse the system which in fact LLsabs is trying to reachout and build a world wide type VR. Charging people for text languge learning chat is a bit strange, but why charge peopel for low quility off the net cut and paste off another site content learning? Its ripping off another sites content. Or of languge sites are at free over the net..( yes this a copy write issue too ). Not For Profit is another problem sims might experience this since they are not suppose to make money off their sim due to the fact the get a % off their land useage and tiers as well i believe.
Hell I can teach people to learn it, but 1.) I have no time or willingness to feed the system as you might say.
Why charge where sharing culture is the reason many vist SL,( or money too ) but there are more people wanting to learn a diff cuture and languge is my point.

Okay, I am sorry, but on this subject we might have to agree to disagree.

I do understand your points (what with lifting information from a language website and such). However, there are people in SL who are talented language professors who use legitimate teaching practices. Plus, if you feel the information you are learning is from a non for profit website, you could always Google a sentence in the search engine to check for plagarism.

Well my point is their should be checks on people doing such thing, making money off others sweat as they say...................Well I been noticing not only this group but people in general charging for languge teachings. I mean come on these people are not at the level to teach for money? There is another girl/guy running around saying she/he is in japan and is a bla bla.........and can teach japanese. This stuff is really sicking......These people are having their money taken from them by unskilled people.........Its all about making a fast YEN/or dollar.......charging for actions that are the result of LLabs know-how is really reaching the point of plagarism and copy wite abuses on more then just a few lindens but real money changing hands.

Could representatives of the current language schools send me an IM in-world and a landmark to the schools? At TU we get the occasional resident who doesn't speak english, and it would be nice to be able to refer them to some place that can help them in their language. We've been lucky so far to have a few instructors that know other languages, and the Mentor group has a few multi-lingual people as well, but it would be easier for the resident to just be given a link and/or a contact name to go to rather than wait for someone to come help them.

Thanks

If I'm tutoring in a language or some academic subject and I use a public library or commercial cafe to tutor in, and charge the student for the time, I'm charging for my time no matter the location. Hard to see, for me, what use of basic resources like location has to do with whether you charge for the use of your own time and knowledge, beyond following access rules like buying at least a coffee or having a library card or whatever to get into the library (similar to all parties having valid accounts to access SL.) No difference in my mind between a public library and SL in that regard.

You mean your a english speaker.Not instr/teacher.......In japan there is a fussy line between teachers/instru and native speakers..........
Sitting down in a coffee shop and sl is not really the same thing. first commucation factors are diff. your not face to face( ok they are doing web cam teaching at Nova and other english schools around japan. But they are ( sort of more structured) because japanese laws in schooling requires them to be. Again in more parts peopel doign freelance teaching on sl are just using the system to their own gain. With little or no reguards of structure learning process.. Paying for languge learning on sl? come on!

Rule of economics: Something is only worth what others are willing to pay. I better not ask you for money teaching English or computers then!

As to Sunita's comments, I think an informal university would be amazing and I, for one, would be a frequenter. I would love to hear if progress is made on this front! However, I agree with other posters that actually getting something like this off the ground is very dependent upon: a) having a regular group of students b) somehow figuring out different time zones. I hardly ever log on at a regular time because in RL (I'm a college student) my schedule is never the same. In any virtual community, but especially with SL I imagine, about half of the members are dedicated, often-online people and the other half gets on when they can, when they're bored, when they remember, etc.

And THAT, with respect to almost all of the other posts on this thread, is what's nice about SL – you don't know who you'll meet, you don't know what you can learn, and it is a place to actually explore people's personalities and the progression of intellectual concepts and memes without real life interference.

So my two cents is that charging for something like language teaching is an activity that can easily enough be conducted outside of SL. If you would like to charge people, then perhaps SL is not for you. Linden Labs was kind enough to make this open to the public and free for all with, really, unlimited access to its features. HOWEVER, I didn't say that to start an age-old debate. Last point --> language learning should be highly encouraged, I say!

Bla ok lets take advantage of the poor dum people shall we.OH BOY! Geshhhhh thumbs down

forget it people and greed continues.......... go ahead and use sl as a tool to get money.....in this way........Atleast i can sleep at night thinking i have not takens others for a ride