<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
are	O
playing	O
an	O
increasingly	O
important	O
role	O
in	O
education	O
,	O
especially	O
in	O
language	O
learning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
March	O
2007	O
it	O
was	O
estimated	O
that	O
over	O
200	O
universities	O
or	O
academic	O
institutions	O
were	O
involved	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
(	O
Cooke-Plagwitz	O
,	O
p.548	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Joe	O
Miller	O
,	O
Linden	O
Lab	O
Vice	O
President	O
of	O
Platform	O
and	O
Technology	O
Development	O
,	O
claimed	O
in	O
2009	O
that	O
"	O
Language	O
learning	O
is	O
the	O
most	O
common	O
education-based	O
activity	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
mainstream	O
language	O
institutes	O
and	O
private	O
language	O
schools	O
are	O
now	O
using	O
3D	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
environments	I-General_Concept
to	O
support	O
language	O
learning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
date	O
back	O
to	O
the	O
adventure	B-Application
games	O
and	O
simulations	O
of	O
the	O
1970s	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
Colossal	B-Application
Cave	I-Application
Adventure	I-Application
,	O
a	O
text-only	O
simulation	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
user	O
communicated	O
with	O
the	O
computer	O
by	O
typing	O
commands	O
at	O
the	O
keyboard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
early	O
adventure	B-Application
games	O
and	O
simulations	O
led	O
on	O
to	O
MUDs	B-Application
(	O
Multi-user	B-Application
domains	I-Application
)	O
and	O
MOOs	B-Application
(	O
Multi-user	B-Application
domains	I-Application
object-oriented	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
language	O
teachers	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
exploit	O
for	O
teaching	O
foreign	O
languages	O
and	O
intercultural	O
understanding	O
(	O
Shield	O
2003	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Three-dimensional	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
such	O
as	O
Traveler	O
and	O
Active	B-Protocol
Worlds	I-Protocol
,	O
both	O
of	O
which	O
appeared	O
in	O
the	O
1990s	O
,	O
were	O
the	O
next	O
important	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Svensson	O
(	O
2003	O
)	O
describes	O
the	O
Virtual	O
Wedding	O
Project	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
advanced	O
students	O
of	O
English	O
made	O
use	O
of	O
Active	B-Protocol
Worlds	I-Protocol
as	O
an	O
arena	O
for	O
constructivist	O
learning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Adobe	B-Algorithm
Atmosphere	I-Algorithm
software	O
platform	O
was	O
also	O
used	O
to	O
promote	O
language	O
learning	O
in	O
the	O
Babel-M	O
project	O
(	O
Williams	O
&	O
Weetman	O
2003	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
3D	O
world	O
of	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
was	O
launched	O
in	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
2005	O
saw	O
the	O
first	O
large-scale	O
language	O
school	O
,	O
Languagelab.com,	O
open	O
its	O
doors	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
2007	O
,	O
com	O
's	O
custom	O
VoIP	B-Application
(	O
audio	O
communication	O
)	O
solution	O
was	O
integrated	O
with	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
universities	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Monash	O
University	O
,	O
and	O
language	O
institutes	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
The	O
British	O
Council	O
,	O
Confucius	O
Institute	O
,	O
Instituto	O
Cervantes	O
and	O
the	O
Goethe-Institut	O
,	O
have	O
islands	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
specifically	O
for	O
language	O
learning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
professional	O
and	O
research	O
organisations	O
support	O
virtual	B-Protocol
world	I-Protocol
language	I-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
through	O
their	O
activities	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
EUROCALL	O
and	O
CALICO	O
,	O
two	O
leading	O
professional	O
associations	O
that	O
promote	O
language	O
learning	O
with	O
the	O
aid	O
of	O
new	O
technologies	O
,	O
maintain	O
a	O
joint	O
Virtual	B-Application
Worlds	I-Application
Special	O
Interest	O
Group	O
(	O
VW	O
SIG	O
)	O
and	O
a	O
headquarters	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Recent	O
examples	O
of	O
creating	O
sims	O
in	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
specifically	O
for	O
language	O
education	O
include	O
VIRTLANTIS	O
,	O
which	O
has	O
been	O
a	O
free	O
resource	O
for	O
language	O
learners	O
and	O
teachers	O
and	O
an	O
active	O
community	O
of	O
practice	O
since	O
2006	O
,	O
the	O
EU-funded	O
NIFLAR	O
project	O
,	O
the	O
EU-funded	O
AVALON	O
project	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
EduNation	O
Islands	O
,	O
which	O
have	O
been	O
set	O
up	O
as	O
a	O
community	O
of	O
educators	O
aiming	O
to	O
provide	O
information	O
about	O
and	O
facilities	O
for	O
language	O
learning	O
and	O
teaching	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NIFLAR	O
is	O
implemented	O
both	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
and	O
in	O
OpenSim	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
2007	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
conferences	O
known	O
as	O
SLanguages	O
have	O
taken	O
place	O
,	O
bringing	O
together	O
practitioners	O
and	O
researchers	O
in	O
the	O
field	O
of	O
language	O
education	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
for	O
a	O
24-hour	O
event	O
to	O
celebrate	O
languages	O
and	O
cultures	O
within	O
the	O
3D	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
decline	O
of	O
second	B-Application
life	I-Application
due	O
to	O
increasing	O
support	O
for	O
open	O
source	O
platforms	O
many	O
independent	O
language	O
learning	O
grids	O
such	O
as	O
English	O
Grid	O
and	O
Chatterdale	O
have	O
emerged	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Almost	O
all	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
educational	O
projects	O
envisage	O
a	O
blended	O
learning	O
approach	O
whereby	O
the	O
language	O
learners	O
are	O
exposed	O
to	O
a	O
3D	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
environment	I-General_Concept
for	O
a	O
specific	O
activity	O
or	O
time	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Such	O
approaches	O
may	O
combine	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
with	O
other	O
online	O
and	O
offline	O
tools	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
2D	O
virtual	O
learning	O
environments	O
(	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
Moodle	B-Application
)	O
or	O
physical	O
classrooms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
for	O
example	O
,	O
is	O
an	O
open-source	O
project	O
which	O
integrates	O
the	O
multi-user	B-Application
virtual	I-Application
environments	I-Application
of	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
and/or	O
OpenSim	B-Protocol
with	O
the	O
Moodle	B-Application
learning-management	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
language	O
schools	O
offer	O
a	O
complete	O
language	O
learning	O
environment	O
through	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
,	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
such	O
as	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
are	O
used	O
for	O
the	O
immersive	O
,	O
collaborative	O
and	O
task-based	O
,	O
game-like	O
opportunities	O
they	O
offer	O
language	O
learners	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
such	O
,	O
virtual	B-Protocol
world	I-Protocol
language	I-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
can	O
be	O
considered	O
to	O
offer	O
distinct	O
(	O
although	O
combinable	O
)	O
learning	O
experiences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Creative	O
:	O
A	O
less-developed	O
approach	O
to	O
language	O
learning	O
in	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
is	O
that	O
of	O
constructing	O
objects	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
a	O
language	O
learning	O
activity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
Six	O
learnings	O
framework	O
"	O
is	O
a	O
pedagogical	O
outline	O
developed	O
for	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
education	O
in	O
general	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Exploring	O
:	O
learners	O
explore	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
's	O
locations	O
and	O
communities	O
as	O
fieldwork	O
for	O
class	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Collaborating	O
:	O
learners	O
work	O
together	O
within	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
on	O
collaborative	O
tasks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Being	O
:	O
learners	O
explore	O
themselves	O
and	O
their	O
identity	O
through	O
their	O
presence	O
in	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
,	O
such	O
as	O
through	O
role-play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Building	O
:	O
learners	O
construct	O
objects	O
within	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Championing	O
:	O
learners	O
promote	O
real	O
life	O
causes	O
through	O
activities	O
and	O
presentations	O
in	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Expressing	O
:	O
learners	O
represent	O
activities	O
within	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
to	O
the	O
outside	O
world	O
,	O
through	O
blogs	O
,	O
podcasts	O
,	O
presentations	O
and	O
videos	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
7	O
Sensibilities	O
of	O
Virtual	B-Application
Worlds	I-Application
for	O
Learning	O
presentation	O
by	O
Karl	O
Kapp	O
and	O
Tony	O
O'Driscoll	O
illustrates	O
how	O
a	O
3D	O
environment	O
makes	O
learning	O
fundamentally	O
different	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
3D	O
Virtual	B-Application
Worlds	I-Application
Learning	O
Archetypes	O
presentation	O
by	O
Karl	O
Kapp	O
and	O
Tony	O
O'Driscoll	O
describes	O
14	O
archetypes	O
of	O
how	O
people	O
learn	O
in	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
3D	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
are	O
often	O
used	O
for	O
constructivist	O
learning	O
because	O
of	O
the	O
opportunities	O
for	O
learners	O
to	O
explore	O
,	O
collaborate	O
and	O
be	O
immersed	O
within	O
an	O
environment	O
of	O
their	O
choice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
allow	O
users	O
to	O
build	O
objects	O
and	O
to	O
change	O
the	O
appearance	O
of	O
their	O
avatar	O
and	O
of	O
their	O
surroundings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Constructivist	O
approaches	O
such	O
as	O
task-based	O
language	O
learning	O
and	O
Dogme	O
are	O
applied	O
to	O
virtual	B-Protocol
world	I-Protocol
language	I-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
because	O
of	O
the	O
scope	O
for	O
learners	O
to	O
socially	O
co-construct	O
knowledge	O
,	O
in	O
spheres	O
of	O
particular	O
relevance	O
to	O
the	O
learner	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Task-based	O
language	O
learning	O
(	O
TBLL	O
)	O
has	O
been	O
commonly	O
applied	O
to	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
language	O
education	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tasks	O
can	O
be	O
highly	O
transactional	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
student	O
is	O
carrying	O
out	O
everyday	O
tasks	O
such	O
as	O
visiting	O
the	O
doctor	O
at	O
the	O
Chinese	O
Island	O
of	O
Monash	O
University	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
tasks	O
may	O
focus	O
on	O
more	O
interactional	O
language	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
those	O
that	O
involve	O
more	O
social	O
activities	O
or	O
interviews	O
within	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Dogme	O
is	O
perceived	O
by	O
some	O
teachers	O
as	O
being	O
anti-technology	O
,	O
it	O
nevertheless	O
appears	O
to	O
be	O
particularly	O
relevant	O
to	O
virtual	B-Protocol
world	I-Protocol
language	I-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
because	O
of	O
the	O
social	O
,	O
immersive	O
and	O
creative	O
experiences	O
offered	O
by	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
and	O
the	O
opportunities	O
they	O
offer	O
for	O
authentic	O
communication	O
and	O
a	O
learner-centred	O
approach	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
WebQuests	O
(	O
also	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
SurReal	O
Quests	O
)	O
combine	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
2D	O
WebQuests	O
with	O
the	O
immersive	O
and	O
social	O
experiences	O
of	O
3D	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Learners	O
develop	O
texts	O
,	O
audios	O
or	O
podcasts	O
based	O
on	O
their	O
research	O
,	O
part	O
of	O
which	O
is	O
within	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
concept	O
of	O
real-life	O
language	O
villages	O
has	O
been	O
replicated	O
within	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
to	O
create	O
a	O
language	O
immersion	O
environment	O
for	O
language	O
learners	O
in	O
their	O
own	O
country	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Dutch	O
Digitale	O
School	O
has	O
built	O
two	O
virtual	O
language	O
villages	O
,	O
Chatterdale	O
(	O
English	O
)	O
and	O
Parolay	O
(	O
French	O
)	O
,	O
for	O
secondary	O
education	O
students	O
on	O
the	O
OpenSim	B-Protocol
grid	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Language	O
learning	O
can	O
take	O
place	O
in	O
public	O
spaces	O
within	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
wide	O
variety	O
of	O
replica	O
places	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
,	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
Students	O
can	O
engage	O
in	O
conversation	O
with	O
native	O
speakers	O
who	O
people	O
these	O
places	O
,	O
take	O
part	O
in	O
conducted	O
tours	O
in	O
different	O
languages	O
and	O
even	O
learn	O
how	O
to	O
use	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
in	O
a	O
language	O
other	O
than	O
English	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Hypergrid	O
Adventurers	O
Club	O
is	O
an	O
open	O
group	O
of	O
explorers	O
who	O
discuss	O
and	O
visit	O
many	O
different	O
OpenSim	B-Protocol
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
using	O
hypergrid	O
connectivity	O
,	O
avatars	O
can	O
jump	O
between	O
completely	O
different	O
OpenSim	B-Protocol
grids	O
while	O
maintaining	O
a	O
singular	O
identity	O
and	O
inventory	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
focused	O
on	O
developing	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
learning	O
experiences	O
for	O
TVET	O
Tourism	O
students	O
and	O
located	O
on	O
the	O
joycadiaGrid	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
offer	O
exceptional	O
opportunities	O
for	O
autonomous	O
learning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
video	O
Language	O
learning	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
:	O
an	O
Introduction	O
by	O
Helen	O
Myers	O
(	O
Karelia	O
Kondor	O
in	O
SL	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
good	O
illustration	O
of	O
an	O
adult	O
learner	O
's	O
experiences	O
of	O
her	O
introduction	O
to	O
SL	O
and	O
in	O
learning	O
Italian	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
tandem	O
learning	O
group	O
,	O
Teach	O
You	O
Teach	O
Me	O
(	O
Language	O
Buddies	O
)	O
,	O
can	O
be	O
found	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
holodeck	B-Algorithm
derives	O
from	O
the	O
Star	O
Trek	O
TV	O
series	O
and	O
feature	O
films	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
a	O
holodeck	B-Algorithm
is	O
depicted	O
as	O
an	O
enclosed	O
room	O
in	O
which	O
simulations	O
can	O
be	O
created	O
for	O
training	O
or	O
entertainment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Holodecks	B-Algorithm
offer	O
exciting	O
possibilities	O
of	O
calling	O
up	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
instantly	O
available	O
simulations	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
for	O
entertainment	O
,	O
presentations	O
,	O
conferencing	O
and	O
,	O
of	O
course	O
,	O
teaching	O
and	O
learning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
if	O
students	O
of	O
hospitality	O
studies	O
are	O
being	O
introduced	O
to	O
the	O
language	O
used	O
in	O
checking	O
in	O
at	O
a	O
hotel	O
a	O
simulation	O
of	O
a	O
hotel	O
reception	O
area	O
can	O
be	O
generated	O
instantly	O
by	O
selecting	O
the	O
chosen	O
simulation	O
from	O
a	O
holodeck	B-Algorithm
"	O
rezzer	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
device	O
that	O
stores	O
and	O
generates	O
different	O
scenarios	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Holodecks	B-Algorithm
can	O
also	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
encourage	O
students	O
to	O
describe	O
a	O
scene	O
or	O
to	O
even	O
build	O
a	O
scene	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Holodecks	B-Algorithm
are	O
commonly	O
used	O
for	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
role-plays	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
cave	B-General_Concept
automatic	I-General_Concept
virtual	I-General_Concept
environment	I-General_Concept
(	O
CAVE	O
)	O
is	O
an	O
immersive	O
virtual	O
reality	O
(	O
VR	O
)	O
environment	O
where	O
projectors	O
are	O
directed	O
to	O
three	O
,	O
four	O
,	O
five	O
or	O
six	O
of	O
the	O
walls	O
of	O
a	O
room-sized	O
cube	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Immersion	O
brought	O
by	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
is	O
augmented	O
with	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
capabilities	O
for	O
language	O
learning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dialogue	O
interactions	O
with	O
automatic	O
interlocutors	O
provide	O
a	O
language	O
learner	O
with	O
access	O
to	O
authentic	O
and	O
immersive	O
conversations	O
to	O
role-play	O
and	O
learn	O
via	O
task-based	O
language	O
learning	O
in	O
a	O
new	O
immersive	O
classroom	O
that	O
uses	O
AI	B-Application
and	O
VR	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Earlier	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
,	O
with	O
the	O
exception	O
of	O
Traveler	O
(	O
1996	O
)	O
,	O
offered	O
only	O
text	O
chat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
did	O
not	O
introduce	O
voice	O
capabilities	O
until	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
this	O
,	O
independent	O
VoIP	B-Application
systems	O
,	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
Ventrilo	B-Operating_System
,	O
were	O
used	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
's	O
current	O
internal	O
voice	O
system	O
has	O
the	O
added	O
ability	O
to	O
reproduce	O
the	O
effect	O
of	O
distance	O
on	O
voice	O
loudness	O
,	O
so	O
that	O
there	O
is	O
an	O
auditory	O
sense	O
of	O
space	O
amongst	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
,	O
such	O
as	O
Twinity	B-Protocol
,	O
also	O
offer	O
internal	O
voice	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Browser-based	O
3D	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
environments	I-General_Concept
tend	O
to	O
only	O
offer	O
text-chat	O
communication	O
,	O
although	O
voice	O
chat	O
seems	O
likely	O
to	O
become	O
more	O
widespread	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Vivox	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
leading	O
integrated	O
voice	O
platform	O
for	O
the	O
social	O
web	O
,	O
providing	O
a	O
Voice	O
Toolbar	O
for	O
developers	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
and	O
multiplayer	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Vivox	O
is	O
now	O
spreading	O
into	O
OpenSim	B-Protocol
at	O
an	O
impressive	O
rate	O
,	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
advent	B-Application
of	O
voice	O
chat	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
in	O
2007	O
was	O
a	O
major	O
breakthrough	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
users	O
report	O
on	O
difficulties	O
with	O
voice	O
chat	O
,	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
may	O
be	O
due	O
to	O
glitches	O
in	O
the	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
software	O
itself	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
is	O
often	O
due	O
to	O
individual	O
users	O
 '	O
poor	O
understanding	O
of	O
how	O
to	O
set	O
up	O
audio	O
on	O
their	O
computers	O
and/or	O
of	O
inadequate	O
bandwidth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
separate	O
voice	O
chat	O
channel	O
outside	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
,	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
Skype	B-Application
,	O
may	O
in	O
such	O
cases	O
offer	O
a	O
solution	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Owning	O
or	O
renting	O
land	O
in	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
is	O
necessary	O
for	O
educators	O
who	O
wish	O
to	O
create	O
learning	O
environments	O
for	O
their	O
students	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Educators	O
can	O
then	O
use	O
the	O
land	O
to	O
create	O
permanent	O
structures	O
or	O
temporary	O
structures	O
embedded	O
within	O
holodecks	B-Algorithm
,	O
for	O
example	O
the	O
EduNation	O
Islands	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
language	O
teaching	O
projects	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
NIFLAR	O
,	O
may	O
be	O
implemented	O
both	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
and	O
in	O
OpenSim	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Immersive	O
Education	O
Initiative	O
revealed	O
(	O
October	O
2010	O
)	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
provide	O
free	O
permanent	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
land	O
in	O
OpenSim	B-Protocol
for	O
one	O
year	O
to	O
every	O
school	O
and	O
non-profit	O
organization	O
that	O
has	O
at	O
least	O
one	O
teacher	O
,	O
administrator	O
,	O
or	O
student	O
in	O
attendance	O
of	O
any	O
Immersive	O
Education	O
Initiative	O
Summit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
islands	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
have	O
language	O
-	O
or	O
culture-specific	O
communities	O
that	O
offer	O
language	O
learners	O
easy	O
ways	O
to	O
practise	O
a	O
foreign	O
language	O
(	O
Berry	O
2009	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
is	O
the	O
widest-used	O
3D	O
world	O
among	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
language	O
teaching	O
community	O
,	O
but	O
there	O
are	O
many	O
alternatives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
General-purpose	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
environments	I-General_Concept
such	O
as	O
Hangout	O
and	O
browser-based	O
3D	O
environments	O
such	O
as	O
ExitReality	O
and	O
3DXplorer	O
offer	O
3D	O
spaces	O
for	O
social	O
learning	O
,	O
which	O
may	O
also	O
include	O
language	O
learning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Street	I-Application
View	I-Application
and	O
Google	B-Application
Earth	I-Application
also	O
have	O
a	O
role	O
to	O
play	O
in	O
language	O
learning	O
and	O
teaching	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Twinity	B-Protocol
replicates	O
the	O
real	O
life	O
cities	O
of	O
Berlin	O
,	O
Singapore	O
,	O
London	O
and	O
Miami	O
,	O
and	O
offers	O
language	O
learners	O
virtual	O
locations	O
with	O
specific	O
languages	O
being	O
spoken	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
English	O
Grid	O
has	O
been	O
developed	O
by	O
education	O
and	O
training	O
professionals	O
as	O
a	O
research	O
platform	O
for	O
delivering	O
English	O
language	O
instruction	O
using	O
opensim	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
OpenSim	B-Protocol
is	O
employed	O
as	O
free	O
open	O
source	O
standalone	O
software	O
,	O
thus	O
enabling	O
a	O
decentralized	O
configuration	O
of	O
all	O
educators	O
,	O
trainers	O
,	O
and	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Such	O
a	O
standalone	O
sim	O
offers	O
180,000	O
prims	O
for	O
building	O
,	O
and	O
can	O
be	O
distributed	O
pre-configured	O
together	O
with	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
viewer	O
using	O
a	O
USB	O
storage	O
stick	O
or	O
SD	O
card	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pre-configured	O
female	O
and	O
male	O
avatars	O
can	O
also	O
be	O
stored	O
on	O
the	O
stick	O
,	O
or	O
even	O
full-sim	O
builds	O
can	O
be	O
downloaded	O
for	O
targeted	O
audiences	O
without	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
is	O
no	O
shortage	O
of	O
choices	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
following	O
lists	O
describe	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
different	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
platforms	O
,	O
their	O
features	O
and	O
their	O
target	O
audiences	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
ArianeB	O
's	O
list	O
of	O
3D	O
Virtual	B-Application
Worlds	I-Application
:	O
A	O
useful	O
list	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
and	O
multiplayer	O
games	O
,	O
including	O
embedded	O
videos	O
that	O
show	O
how	O
they	O
look	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Chris	O
Smith	O
's	O
list	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
:	O
A	O
comprehensive	O
list	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
,	O
including	O
some	O
embedded	O
videos	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
Worlds	I-Application
List	O
by	O
Category	O
:	O
As	O
the	O
title	O
suggests	O
,	O
a	O
categorised	O
list	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
SLanguages	O
conference	O
is	O
now	O
a	O
free	O
annual	O
24-hours	O
event	O
,	O
bringing	O
together	O
practitioners	O
and	O
researchers	O
in	O
the	O
field	O
of	O
language	O
education	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
SL	O
Experiments	O
is	O
a	O
group	O
managed	O
by	O
Nergiz	O
Kern	O
(	O
Daffodil	O
Fargis	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
)	O
for	O
collecting	O
and	O
sharing	O
ideas	O
on	O
how	O
to	O
use	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
for	O
teaching	O
foreign	O
languages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
group	O
meets	O
twice	O
a	O
month	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
substantial	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
conference	O
takes	O
place	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Virtual	B-Application
Worlds	I-Application
Best	O
Practices	O
in	O
Education	O
(	O
VWBPE	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
global	O
grass-roots	O
community	O
event	O
focusing	O
on	O
education	O
in	O
immersive	O
3D	O
environments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Virtual	B-Application
Worlds	I-Application
Education	O
Roundtable	O
(	O
VWER	O
)	O
group	O
meets	O
each	O
week	O
to	O
talk	O
about	O
issues	O
that	O
concern	O
educators	O
with	O
regard	O
to	O
using	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
as	O
a	O
teaching	O
and	O
learning	O
tool	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
iED	O
Summits	O
feature	O
new	O
and	O
emerging	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
,	O
learning	O
games	O
,	O
educational	O
simulations	O
,	O
mixed/augmented	O
reality	O
,	O
and	O
related	O
teaching	O
tools	O
,	O
techniques	O
,	O
technologies	O
,	O
standards	O
and	O
best	O
practices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Virtual	B-Application
World	I-Application
Conference	O
is	O
an	O
annual	O
conference	O
exploring	O
the	O
uses	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
for	O
learning	O
,	O
collaborative	O
work	O
and	O
business	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
event	O
was	O
held	O
on	O
15	O
September	O
2010	O
and	O
hosted	O
entirely	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Protocol
World	I-Protocol
Language	I-Protocol
Learning	I-Protocol
is	O
a	O
rapidly	O
expanding	O
field	O
and	O
it	O
converges	O
with	O
other	O
closely	O
related	O
areas	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
MMOGs	O
,	O
SIEs	O
and	O
Augmented	B-General_Concept
Reality	I-General_Concept
Language	O
Learning	O
(	O
ARLL	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Augmented	B-General_Concept
reality	I-General_Concept
(	O
AR	O
)	O
is	O
the	O
combination	O
of	O
real-world	O
and	O
computer-generated	O
data	O
so	O
that	O
computer	O
generated	O
objects	O
are	O
blended	O
into	O
real	O
time	O
projection	O
of	O
real	O
life	O
activities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mobile	O
AR	O
applications	O
enable	O
immersive	O
and	O
information-rich	O
experiences	O
in	O
the	O
real	O
world	O
and	O
are	O
therefore	O
blurring	O
the	O
differences	O
between	O
real	O
life	O
and	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
.	O
</s>
