Sign in or 
| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 14 2007, 6:59 PM EST (current) | blindsey | 1 word added, 2 words deleted, 6 photos added |
| Dec 14 2007, 8:51 AM EST | orsitto | 22 words added |
Changes
Key: Additions Deletions
"Ideal City." Online Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 4 Dec. 2007
by Felice Italo Beneduce
What is the definition of Utopia
? The idealistic "Non-Place" where perfection and harmony reign, unencumbered by the weight of human insufficiencies. Studies in the field of the fantastic in arts have traditionally dichotomized the non-place into Eutopia (which generally corresponds to the definition provided above) and Dystopia (an Orwellian darker image of reality which, rather than covering up our innate flaws, brings them out into the open and emphasizes them). The use of the virtual world in the field of language instruction has enormous potential but in order for it to be an effective tool - both for the instructor and the student - it must include all the imperfections which are inevitable in any human society, while at the same time presenting an image of the Target Language society which is appealing to the student: in other words a dystopian core with a eutopian veneer. Striking this balance should be the goal in the creation of pedagogical program that, for a more authentic conveyance of language instruction, will incorporate elements actually found when strolling the streets of Rome, Madrid, Berlin, etc. For, notwithstanding all the glorification of "authentic materials" used in the communicative approach, what we teach our students is fundamentally a text-book version of our languages, with the complete elimination of inherently human factors of linguistic expression such as dialect, accents and regionalisms. While it would be difficult for the instructor to teach these subtleties in the classroom, they could be profitably included into a Virtual World program, set for instance, in Stuttgart's Schlossplatz or under Bologna's famous porticos. The result would therefore be twofold: on the one hand, such a program could be conducive to a marked improvement in the students' knowledge of the Target Language by means of a medium with which they are already familiar (e.g. Second Life); on the other hand the program would prepare them for subsequent authentic linguistic experiences abroad.
The fundamental issue in the use of a Virtual Word in foreign language pedagogy is the concept of interaction in a setting that takes the student beyond the walls of the classroom to an authentic language environment without, however, entailing a substantial expenditure, often beyond the means of many. As stated in the Educause article Things You Should Know About Virtual Worlds, virtual worlds promote learner-led model knowledge development in “an online environment [that] encourages participants to experiment—to learn by trial and error—in a way not feasible in the real world… Virtual worlds facilitate ‘unintentional’ learning, where students discover and create knowledge not for its own sake but in order to accomplish something they want to do, resulting in stronger comprehension and deeper knowledge.” Virtual worlds thus represent an enriching supplement to traditional foreign language classroom and there are indeed already several foreign-language based Second Life worlds for German (Frankfurt, newBERLIN), Spanish (MundoSL, Spanish Orientation Island), French (Gaïa), even Portuguese (Mainland Brasil) and Dutch (Second Life Netherland). As the Education page of Second Life confirms, what is created is “a safe environment to enhance experiential learning, allowing individuals to practice skills, try new ideas, and learn from their mistakes…as part of a globally networked virtual classroom environment.”
As long as tasks and goals for the students remain clear-cut, it is possible to implement the tenets of constructivist learning while at the same time incorporating the four skills of the the communicative approach within the framework of existing forms of learning assessments. For example, task for a second semester student of Italian in a VitrualVirtual Rome could be to reach Piazza di Spagna
from Piazza del Popolo by: (A) asking directions from passersby [clearly a voice recognition program would be required]; (B) correctly understanding the directions given; (C) reading indications/hints which have been placed along the way; and (D) writing a virtual postcard extolling the beauty of the Spanish Steps and its culturally iconic features once it has been reached. As a supplemental activity, the student could then relate to the class what had been seen/encountered during the virtual stroll.Other course applications could include virtual activities such as: buying at an open market all the items necessary to prepare a meal; going to a virtual restaurant and ordering a pizza, buying a train ticket for virtual Venice
from a travel agency; exploring the ruins of the virtual Roman Forum and entering a virtual reproduction of a Roman art gallery.Therefore, through the insertion of the students into a language context that engages them in their education while attaining this engagement by means of commonly used ludic venue, these virtual language worlds could be used for the teaching not only of the language per se but also a wide array of interdisciplinary topics pertaining to the country/language question: from archeology and history to art, architecture and graphic design.
In the completion of the activities described above, the students would achieve all five ACTFL goals of Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities (again, ideally this final goal is attained not in substitution of but as a precursor to an actual visit to Rome). Just to mention an example from the ACTFL report, students can actually "use the language both within and beyond the school setting." The benefits of the virtual as compared to the in-class version of these activities are that firstly the linguistic interaction will occur with a person other than the instructor and secondly that the interlocutor will be a native speaker with a specific accent. Furthermore, as Patricia Deubel has pointed out, these simulations need not involve only the single student but could provide opportunities for collaboration between students.
Chris Dede of Harvard has made a strong connection between virtual environments/augmented realities and “neomillennial learning styles” through this ludic medium by defining immersion as “the subjective impression that one is participating in a comprehensive, realistic experience. Immersion in a mediated, simulated experience (such as a virtual environment or an augmented reality) involves the willing suspension of disbelief” which cannot but recall the notion of “full immersion” in foreign language pedagogy. Although the virtual Rome should by no means substitute an excursion to the original, the student for whom a study abroad may not be economically feasible can at least have the benefits of an immersion program through Coleridgean theory of the fantastic referenced above.
While obviously there will be practical concerns and considerations in the creation of Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVE
s), the first and foremost of which is the funding and content ownership, it is possible to conclude in agreement with the words of James Morrison according to whom this combination of “graphics and audio with the ability to communicate with multiple users in real time within the context of a 3-D virtual environment” will assuredly be are an enhancement to course content and education in general.