Our virtual study project this week was to investigate the potential of Second Life. In this interactive portal. a person can re-invent herself--- hence the name of the game. One makes an avatar, and explores different areas of the site, each with its own particular orientation. The point is to interact with other people from around the world, and is meant to encourage people to express themselves, in a friendly, non threatening way. Once you join, you have the option to use different languages to try, and can speak to many different kinds of people. However, in my experience, it takes a lot of trying. The communities do not take to strangers well, and you have to be a presence for a while before you can start relationships in many of the boxes. I went to a jazz club, to check it out, but the people there were not interested in talking to me. I tried other places, but got the same response. This is community building, and you have to be a participant on a long term basis to really be part of it. If someone is willing to invest the time and energy to do this, or has no other option, this is a great idea.
For language learning, this medium is ideal for those who feel they are in isolation with their language learning. It is near enough real life to afford someone the experience of social communication, and one can develop the critical skills of communication and production of language. However, it is not really a substitute for real life, because you cannot see people's real faces, make connections with body posture, or begin to understand some cultural norms of pausing or turn taking. But, it is a good go, and has its place in pedagogy.
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