1. Affordances of gaming virtual environments for Second language development

2. Second language Theories  Internationalist hypothesis:  Comprehensive input  Negotiation of meaning  Sociocultural theory:  Mediation of meaning  Interaction with Peers  Zone of proximal Development

3. Learning Affordances  Learning: autonomous, individual, learner- centered, immersive, customized, collaborative, task-based  Access: NS, cultural artifacts & values, linguistic competence, incidental voc. Acq.  Environment: input-rich, realistic, engaging, interactive  Communication: Authentic, purposeful, socially contextualized

4. Challenges  Digital literacy  Attitude towards gaming  Gaming experience  Cost of Equipment  Overlap between game-play and learning

5. Example  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhfaGbt W4Sg&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhfaGbt W4Sg&feature=related