Using immersive simulated learning environments in English languagelearning context to avoid the loss of culture-specific phenomena

in translation

Sergei Kopytin

THESIS SEMINARUNIVERSITY OF OULU, KTK 307

21.05.2015

1. Background and theoretical framework2. Aim and objectives of the research3. Research methods4. Expected results and risks5. Schedule6. Reference list

1. Background and theoretical framework

• The beginning of the 21st century is characterized by the rapid and unstoppable process of information society development, which is seen as a mandatory step in the development of modern civilization.

• The ability to speak this or that foreign language is not enough to build up the effective communication with the representatives of other cultures (Grushevitskaya, 2002).

1. Background and theoretical framework

• By March 2007 it was estimated that over 200 universities or academic institutions were involved in Second Life, the online virtual world. (Cooke-Plagwitz, 2008)

• The virtual reality and, in particular, virtual tours and excursions increase the efficiency of the educational process and develop the foreign language communicative competence in the process of teaching English to the different social and age groups (Kopytin, 2013)

1. Background and theoretical framework

The pedagogical benefits of integrating virtual realities in foreign language learning were summarized by Von et al. (2001) in five aspects: (1) natural communication and content(2) autonomous learning and peer teaching in a student-centered classroom, (3) individual learning, (4) prominence of experimentation and play(5) students as researchers.

1. Background and theoretical framework

• Virtual world language learning can be considered to offer distinct, but combinable learning experiences: (1) Immersive ; (2) Social; (3) Creative.

• Immersive experiences draw on the ability to be surrounded by a certain (real or fictitious) environment that can stimulate language learning (Jeffery and Collins, 2008). Immersive learning environments give the learnersa context.

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1. Background and theoretical framework

• Problem of false symbolic connections. The appearance of the borrowed words in the languages is linked to the aims to consider and understand the foreign reality and to be able to describe the foreign reality using the mother tongue (Taganova, 2010).

• Xenonym is a term derived from the Greek (xenonymus), literally "foreign name“, from (xenos), "foreign" and (ónomus), "name“ (Xenonym. In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 19, 2015, fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenonym)

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1. Background and theoretical framework

• Xenonyms are the indicators of what aspects of life of the foreign societies require the language interpretation, reaction and study. Their usage helps to avoid the uncertainties and the interfusion of the unique peculiarities and specialties of different cultures which can appear when using the equivalent words, borrowed words, calques or hybrid entities.

• The visual, interactive and multimedia learning tools can help to prevent the creation of false symbolic connections and the virtual realities and tours are among the newest, most relevant and most effective ones of them.

1. Background and theoretical framework

• Simulation or emulation?

• The goal is to create the learning environment which is detached from a real world to a certain degree, but preserves all the features necessary to reach the desired learning objectives and goals.

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2. Aim and objectives of the research

• To create the interactive virtual space, in which the subjects of study (the real objects, buildings, etc) will be modeled, recreated and efficiently organized into one learning environment, which will serve as a tool for the effective culture-specific phenomena studies.

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Figure 1. 3 panoramic photos used in previous research (Kopytin, 2013)

3. Research methods

• Mixed-method approach• Triangulation

• Target group: approximately 8-10 non-native English language speakers.

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4. Expected results and risks

Expected result:• to have the fully functional and pedagogically valuable virtual reality designed and developed as a final product and prove its efficiency

Risks:• Triangulation research method - different sources may yield different and evencontradictory information (Altshuld and Witkin, 2000)• Research output (programming)

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5. Schedule

Table 1. Schedule outline.

• Altshuld, J. & Witkin, B.R. (2000). Transferring Needs into Solution Strategies. Newbury Park, CA: Sage• Cooke-Plagwitz, J. (2008, March 20). Conversing in the Metaverse: Language Teaching and Learning in Second Life. Paper presented at CALICO 2008. Retrieved from https://www.calico.org.• Grushevitskaya, T. (2002) Основы межкультурной коммуникации [The basics of cross-cultural communication]. Moscow ЮНИТИ.• Jeffery A. & Collins, M. (2008). Immersive Learning and Role Plays in Second Life. In K. McFerrin et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2008, 2628-2632. Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/27616• Kopytin, S. (2013). The realization of the technological and linguocultorological potential of the virtual tours in English language for different social and age groups - the participants of the cross-cultural communication. Unpublished graduation thesis, Pskov State University, Pskov, Russia.• Taganova, T. (2010). Ксенонимы-русицизмы XXI века в англоязычной переодике и лексикографии [Russian xenonyms of the 21st century in English-language press and lexicography]. Nizhniy Novgorod, 4(2), 736-738.• Von der Emde, S., Schneider, J., & Kotter, M. (2001). Technically speaking: Transforming language learning through virtual learning environments (MOOs). The Modern Language Journal, 85(2), 210-225.

6. Reference list

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!Figure 2. Timon (Disney, 1994)