1. Second Life &Task-Based Language Learning
Randall Sadler, Ulugbek Nurmukhamedov, & Susan Fassler

2. Overview of Presentation
Introductions (right now!)
Quick overview of study
What is TBLT?
What is Second Life?
The study
Demo
The results
The end ;-) R

3. What is a Task?
…a pedagogical task is a piece of classroom work that involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing or interacting in the target language while their attention is focused on mobilizing their grammatical knowledge in order to express meaning…. (Nunan, 2004, p. 4)
…a piece of work undertaken for oneself or for others, freely or for some reward. (Long, 1985) R

4. Key Characteristics of Tasks (Skehan, 1998, cited in Nunan, 2004, p. 3)
Meaning is primary
Learners are not given other people’s meaning to regurgitate
There is some sort of relationship to comparable real-world activities.
Task completion has some priority
The assessment of the task is in terms of the outcome R

5. TBLT: Definitions
…aims at proving opportunities for the learners to experiment with and explore both spoken and written language through learning activities which are designed to engage learners in the authentic, practical and functional use of language for meaningful purposes. (Nunan, 1999)
...an approach to teaching a second/foreign language that seeks to engage learners in interactionally authentic language use by having them perform a series of tasks (Ellis, 2003) U
MARKEE:
an analytic approach to syllabus design and methodology in which chains of information-gathering, problem-solving and evaluative tasks are used to organize language teaching and learning; these interdependent pedagogical tasks, which combine insights from sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic research, are designed to methodologically simulate the communicative events which learners encounter in specific second language-using environments (Markee, 1994a)
A task-based approach sees the language process as one of learning through doing--- it is primarily engaging in meaning that the learner’s system is encouraged to develop (Long & Crooks, 1993)
… interdependent pedagogical tasks … designed to methodologically simulate the communicative events which learners encounter in specific second language-using environments (Markee, 1994a)
an activity in which the target language is used by the learner for a communicative purpose in order to achieve an outcome (Willis, 1996)

6. Learn language by doing things Experiential Learning Learner Centered
Key ideas in TBLT
Learn language by doing things
Experiential Learning
Learner Centered
Meaning is primary
Could be written or oral
Connection to the “real world” U

7. Task Examples Tasks Pedagogical Tasks painting a fence
buying a pair of shoes
making an airline reservation
borrowing a library book
taking a driving test
typing a letter
weighing a patient
taking a hotel reservation
finding a street destination, etc. (Long, ‘85)
Pedagogical Tasks
Information Gap
Opinion Gap
Reasoning Gap
Personal Tasks
Role play tasks
Jigsaw
Problem Solving
Decision Making
Opinion Exchange U

8. Why TBLT?
…offers the opportunity for ‘natural’ learning inside the classroom (Ellis, 2003)
...well-designed and implemented tasks can engage learners in meaningful interaction and...negotiation can occur through these interactions (Pica, 1994).
It is intrinsically motivating (Ellis, 2003)
It emphasizes meaning over form but can also cater for learning form (Ellis, 2003) U
“Task-based teaching offers the opportunity for ‘natural’ learning inside the classroom”
Natural learning will take place even outside of the classroom too.

9. What is a virtual world? …an online environment
Avatars representing “real” people
Real time communication via text and/or voice
Typically control own appearance: gender, shape, clothing, species?
May have control over environment
May be similar or nearly identical to real world
…Or may allow users to fly, teleport, or build a home floating 200 meters above the ground. R 9

10. About Second Life (most from Gronstedt, 2007)
~1.5 million logged in over last 60 days
54,000 logged in 1pm Saturday.
60 % users European (Germans outnumber Americans)
16 % from U.S.
13 % from Asia.
60 % men
40 % women
20% of F avatars are RL M
Almost all M avatars are RL M.
average age: 30s.
What you see….is created primarily by users R 10

11. What can you do there? Explore Shop Dance Make money
…also a great place to learn languages
Many language schools, millions to practice with
Text chat, oral chat, nonverbal communication R

12. Theoretical Foundations for TBLT
Experiential & Social Learning: (Dewey, 1916), (Kilpatrick , 1918)
Sociocultural Theory, Negotiation, Zone of Proximal Development: Vygotsky
Constructivist Theory (Piaget, 1967)
Interaction Hypothesis (Long & Robinson,1998)
Negotiation Model (Doughty, 2000) R

13. Why TBLTvia CALL?
CMC interaction creates less threatening and less stressful environment (Smith, 2003)
Simulations... [allow] students to be immersed and actively involved in an environment that is not otherwise accessible (González-Lloret, 2003, citing 3 others)
…successful implementation of computer- based, interactive, communicative tasks can yield numerous benefits for L2 Learners (de la Fuente, 2003, citing 12 others) U

14. A few Studies with “TBLT” & CALL
González-Lloret. (2003): 3-D environment
Zähner, Fauverge, & Wong (2000): Audiovisual networks
Müller-Hartmann (2000):
Linder & Rochon (2003): text chat, MOO
Blake (2000): text chat
Smith. (2005): text chat
Oscoz (2003): text chat
Shamsudin. (2003): Microsoft Netmeeting U

15. Motivation for the Study:
Applying tasks in 3D environment of Second Life
Preparing students’ communicative competence before they go to real life
Building confidence in students language use
Exploring task building possibilities in Second Life and integrating them to task-based curriculum
Researching how the use of SL might help tasks and TBLT become more real and more interesting to language learners R

16. Settings and Participants
RL Setting
A large MW Univ.
Intensive English Institute (UIUC)
MA TESOL program
Virtual Setting
Second Life— various locations
Participants
10 ESL students
Language backgrounds: Arabic, Turkish, Korean, Thai, Chinese
Language Proficiency— upper intermediate
23 MA TESOL ss
Language backgrounds: a lot
Language Proficiency: from NS to near NS R

17. Data collection
Pre and Post Questionnaires—experience, attitudes, etc.
Participant Journals & Interviews
Tasks
Completed objects
Written products via notecards
Written products via other sources
Videos of task activities R

18. Tasks: Orientation Overview & practice of common SL personal tasks
Scavenger Hunt
The Build
Travel Guide
Orienteering
Overview & practice of common SL personal tasks
Walk around (harder than you might think!)
Fly
Work with your inventory
Change appearance
Teleport
Set landmarks R

19. Tasks: Scavenger Hunt Orientation The Build Travel Guide Orienteering
Intro to common SL tasks
use your inventory
move around in SL
"buy" things
teleport
take pictures
set landmarks
make and use notecards
Intro to useful areas: museums, freebies, nature, history, language learning R
For this hunt you must find some places in Second Life that I describe in "The Scavenger Hunt!" notecard. These include places for art, free things, historical places, nature sites, and education sites. At each place I ask you to do something to show that you were there.
For each of these places, you will put the answers on a new notecard. Call it "Scavenger Hunt--"insert your names here."
1. Number your answers in the notecard in the same way you will see in the "Scavenger Hunt!" notecard (1. Art in SL, etc.)
2. For each number, put in the answer, photo, or landmark for your answer.
3. When you finish, place the notecard in Randall Renoir's mail box, located on his house below the "Renoir's Roost" sign:
The winning group will be the one that gets the most points--each correct answer is worth 10 points. That winning team will get a prize!
==HOWEVER==
1. The group that finishes the fastest gets 10 bonus points
2. For some of the questions you have a choice. If a group does finds both places they will get extra points.
_____________________________________________
RULES:
1. You should work on this project with a partner.
2. Any pictures you take must include both you and your partner.
3. Your answers should be turned in on a notecard. The name of the notecard should be: "Scavenger Hunt
!--insert your names here"
4. If you get stuck, you can me for a hint....but I won't just give you the answer! ;-)
Good luck!

20. Tasks: Must work in groups to complete hunt tasks: Scavenger Hunt II
Orientation
Scavenger Hunt II
The Build
Travel Guide
Orienteering
Must work in groups to complete hunt tasks:
Group turns in written notecards with written answers, but also require:
Oral communication
Text chat
Group decision making
(integrative skills—Ellis) R

21. Tasks: The Build Orientation Scavenger Hunt Travel Guide Orienteering
Building tutorial
Build something in a group
Write instructions to recreate your build
Another group gets notes, attempts to recreate
Prizes for best build, best recreation R

22. Sample from previous builds: Table

23. Sample: Sofa R

24. Doghouse R

25. Supervan—the plaid version

26. The public, public bathroom

27. Tasks: The Build II Orientation Scavenger Hunt Travel Guide
Orienteering
Requirements
Reasoning
Decision Making/Consensus
Problem solving
Opinion exchange
Oral/chat exchanges
Written descriptions
Language & Grammar R
TBLT items this would include
Opinion Gap
Reasoning Gap
Personal Tasks
Role play tasks
Jigsaw
Problem Solving
Decision Making
Opinion Exchange

28. Some Verbs and Adjectives for the building task
Making & Selecting
Changing
Movement
Adjectives
SL editing window
Create
Expand
Move
Long
Tab
Build
Shrink
Life
Short
Axis (X,Y,Z)
Rezz
Stretch
Raise
Small
Position
Duplicate
Lower
Large
Size
Click
Color
Slide
Square
Texture
Right-click
Push
Flat
Transparent
Select
Attach
Pull
Thin
Edit
Link
Put
Thick
Choose
Connect
Rotate U

29. Prepositions of location from: http://www.esolcamba.org/visualprep.htmU

30. Other vocabulary Shapes Colors Textures Sizes, measurements Angles
Relative positions
Conditionals ?? U

31. Demo of a building task R

32. Extensions Build some historical artifact
Write directions for someone to re-create
Write a “history” for that creation
Build a space for a group—class exchange
Negotiate look, furnishings
Purpose?
Info from countries?
Authors/history from countries? R
Could show them my pyramid or rocky temple?

33. Preliminary Results TBLT in SL--yes Maintaining motivation
Get physical
Learner background differences
RL pedagogy may not transfer to VWs
Importance of task design
Importance of student responsibility
Technical issues…the best of times?? R
Pay particular attention to some of the buzzwords they used in the literature.

34. Thanks!
For a copy of the presentation and a full list of references, you can go to Randall’s webpage (in a couple days!):
R & U