Creating a virtual language learning environment in Second Life

The development of English skills of elementary school students is very important for their English abilities in the future and Second Life (SL) can provide the appropriate contexts which are needed for developing such skills. However, some research indicated that the lack of learning guidance and teaching aids would affect students' learning effectiveness while learning in SL. Therefore, the development for such guidance and aids is needed. A 3D task-based language learning environment was developed in this study to fulfill the needs and was measured for its functionality by the questionnaire. The participants were elementary school students in northern Taiwan. The results showed the environment is easy to use and is useful for learning English. The design method proposed in this study can also be a reference for developing future virtual language learning environments.