Virtual Reality in College English Curriculum: Case Study of Integrating Second Life in Freshman English Course

Learning in a virtual context makes good use of online resources. It embodies an ideal blend of learning and digital technology. The question is how an English course should be designed to incorporate virtual reality and effectively promote motivation among vocational school students to inspire them to actively learn English via online resources. According to many studies, online virtual reality not only transforms one-way lectures into two-way interactions, it also changes the single-track approach that characterizes traditional teaching into a hybrid learning that takes place both “within the classroom” and “online”. Virtual learning platforms are convenient and expand learning by transcending space and time constraints. While the traditional “classroom setting” allows direct interaction so teachers could keep track of student's progress, the virtual context provides students with opportunities to remedy their studies and carry out self-learning. The study is built upon autonomous language learning theories. Subjects of the study are first year students. A virtual platform for English learning is built, which combines actual classroom and work scenarios. Students are able to practice common workplace language in the virtual context of Second Life. The study ends by proposing some strategies for learning and teaching professional English at work.