How to spark remote learning in Second Life

Sounds like a fantasy — play a game, learn a language. And yet, that is just what is happening as vast, world-spanning games like Second Life and World of Warcraft bring dozens of cultures together. What has been happening by osmosis — as non-English speakers pick up the language through quests and conversation, or English speakers learn bits of Japanese, Chinese and Korean from playing one of the many Asian imports — has now been seized upon by language teachers as a way to make learning a new language online as easy as logging in and meeting up with a teacher.

Kip "Yellowjacket" Boahn, co-leader of an English-language school in Germany for the past eight years, was inspired by his experiences in Second Life to construct his own island, Second Life English, devoted to the teaching of English to players the world over. Combining instructor-led lessons, volunteer tutors, and role-playing exercises, Second Life English is welcoming 75 interested visitors a day — and the island has not been advertised except by word of mouth. With operations like Second Life English and LanguageLab setting up shop in virtual worlds, soon learning a language will be as easy as doing an instance run. Now, where do I sign up for Remedial Klingon? I can't remember if it's "ghuH Daq Hegh DaH" or "qul Daq Hegh DaH"...