Betelhme Gebre Professor Pratt English 1102 8 March 2013 Annotated Bibliography Balcikanli, Cem.

Language Learning In Second Life: American And Turkish Students Experiences. Turkish Online Journal Of Distance Education 13.2 (2012): 131-146. ERIC. Web. 7 Mar 2013. This article explores the possibilities of learning using web technologies. It specifically focuses on the virtual world Second Life. The writer explores Second life starting from its construction to its users. This allows the reader better understanding of the virtual game so that they can better understand the experiment that was carried out using the online world. The experiment consisted of two groups. The first was Turkish students learning English in Turkey. While the second group included students from the USA that were learning Turkish. The article includes a lay out of the experiment. Also, it includes interviews with the subjects of the experiment to provide the reader better understanding of the data collected. As a result, the article was able to provide that Second Life can serve as a good method for learning a new language. It is also a way to share ones culture with another. Thus acting as a cultural bridge in which people can learn about those who live half way across the world through their computer screen.

Except for the fact that I found the article through the library data base, there are several facts that prove that it is a credible source. The fact that the article is only a year old makes it very relevant to todays society and how we are incredibly dependent on technology. Secondly, the author of the article is an English professor at Gazi University. He particularly specializes in topics such as web technologies and their use in language learning. Finally, the author has published multiple papers related to the topic of this article in the EFL journals. The EFL journal is an international journal that covers research and progress in Second language learning. The data provided in this article is perfectly suitable to my research. This article has provided me with new insights to my topic that I havent thought of before. For instance, an interview with a student involved in the experiment allowed me to see that Second Life be a less threatening method to learning a language. Also this article helps me shape and prefect my research question. The way the author incorporated the interviews throughout his paper makes it more interesting. Therefore, it inspired me to write my essay in the same fashion. Dan Wu1, wudan@xisu.edu.cn. "Living In Second Life And Learning A Second Language: A Study On English Learning For Chinese Residents In Second Life." Creative Education 3.4 (2012): 520-526. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 7 Mar. 2013. This article explores the lives of those who use Second Life as a way of learning English. The students in article learn English not because they are moving to an English speaking county. However as stated in the article, knowledge of English is required for Chinese students. The students have series of exams, in English, which they have to take

throughout their educational carrier. Therefore, in order to pass to the next grade level or even to get a good job these students have to master their English skills. And what better way to do it than through Second Life. The students can experience interactions with other native English speakers. They can also interact with those from their home town to share their findings and help each other in their journey to learning English. This source is dependable due to fact that it was published recently. Therefore it makes it current. In addition, the article is written by a Chinese writer who probably had to experience similar things as the students in his paper as he was their age. Furthermore, this article is obtained from Creative Education. This source covers researches conducted in the field of creative education. The journal was published on Scientific Research Publishing (SCIRP), which is one of the largest open access journal publishers. Overall the paper was very informational. I enjoyed that there were still frames of Second Life throughout the paper. The screen shots were captured when the author was interviewing some of the students in Second Life. I personally was able to relate to the paper because in the country I grew up in it was also mandatory to know English. We had to now just know it however we had to be able to apply it as well. In retrospect, I feel that if we were provided with the opportunity to interact with native English speakers in Second Life, maybe we would have experience less difficulty when trying to master the English language. Ellis, Maureen, and Patricia Anderson. "Learning To Teach In Second Life: A Novice Adventure In Virtual Reality." Journal Of Instructional Pedagogies 6.(2011): 1-12. Education Research Complete. Web. 8 Mar. 2013.

This article focuses on those who make it possible for others to learn through Second Life. The article shares new opportunities that are provided through Second Life. These include classrooms in the virtual worlds where students could attend and learn in an innovative and exciting way. However, the case study was done to help guide those teaching the class so that they can make the learning experience more pleasurable for those attending. It is almost a how to guide to help the teachers navigate through Second Life. These skills gained while teaching in the virtual class rooms can be used by the teachers in the actual world. The journal doesnt only focus on the success in the virtual environment however the failures as well. However, focusing on the positive side of the knowledge provided by the technology will drive the learners and the teachers toward a greater success. This journal is written by two doctors from East Carolina University. Dr. Elis has multiple papers published on learning using technology. In addition, Dr. Anderson has multiple years of experience as a teacher which makes her well-suited for writing this paper. Furthermore the paper was published just a few years ago in the Journal of Instructional Pedagogies. The journal focuses on issues such as instructional techniques and education issues in today society. This article provided a new perspective to my topic. When looking into the subject I was only looking at how virtual learning affects the students; however I didnt think of the teachers until I stumbled across this article. It made me aware of the fact that there are virtual classrooms that are in use to teach students a variety of things. The article made me see how virtual worlds and all that they have to offer can provide a captivating learning experience.

Ortega, Mari-Carmen Gil, and Susanna Romans-Roca. "Exploring The Potential Of Second Life To Prepare Language Students For Their Year Abroad." International Journal Of Technology, Knowledge & Society 6.6 (2010): 57-66. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Mar. 2013. This article provides information of a project that was conducted based on how virtual worlds such as second life help exchange students better prepare for their year abroad. The project focused on a group of undergraduate students who were planning to better their Spanish. The participants had little to knowledge of second life and what it could offer toward learning a new language. The study focused not just on speaking but it focused on all four skills which were reading, speaking, listening and writing. Although the main focus was to improve the students language skills in Spanish, it was also meant to increase the students knowledge of the Spanish culture. This is a reliable source due to the fact that it was written by two senior lectures from the University of the West of England, UK. One of the authors, Dr. Ortega is an award winning language teacher. Therefore, the study conducted was well thought out using her knowledge and experiences working with language learners. Also, Romans-Roca has much experience in teaching languages. In addition, the fact that the article is from only a couple of years ago makes it current. In this paper I liked how they didnt just focus on how the students were able to perfect their Spanish skills; however it also included factors such as the confidence and motivation of the participants throughout the process. I also appreciated how they provided the reader with not only the qualitative data but also with the quantitative data

as well. I also enjoyed that the paper was broken down using subtitles. Overall, I thought it was a very informative paper.

Research is journey where through time you learn of new and exciting things. Throughout the process, one is able to specify or even completely change their research topic. During my research process, I have learned about many different aspects of my topics which I havent thought of before. As I read more and more about how other people approach the same topic, I kept coming across an angle that really intrigued me. Therefore, since I have more to say about this particular perspective of my topic than any other, I chose to adjust my question to better fit my personal experiences. When I started out with the project I wasnt fully sure of how I was going to approach the topic. Therefore, I had some uncertainty on what I had to provide for the paper from my personal experiences. However, as time progressed I had a chance to read more and more about my topic and decide which angle is best suited to my personal affiliations. My inquiry question at the start of the project was How can an individuals life be affected by forming a life in a virtual world?. However as I conducted more research I chose to change my question to How does second life act as a way of learning? specifically our way of language learning. Since I personally have experienced this, I feel that I can personalize my paper by incorporating my personal experiences. I was surprised by many things I came across while researching. For instance, I learned that students in the medical field use virtual worlds as a way of learning. Pilots also use this technique when learning about flight and all things associated with it. In addition, I was surprised to find out that Second Life could act as a form of therapy. Before I started the research process I mostly focused on the negative outcomes virtual worlds can have on its users. However, after my research, I was able to see that there are very many positive uses of Second Life.

My research so far has made me wonder about my own experience with language learning. It has made me think of how my experience would have differed if I would have used Second Life to interact with native English speakers before my move. In all the articles, the authors have emphasized on letting the reader know that practice is the main key to mastering a language. And practice is what I didnt get most of before I moved, so I feel that it would have made a tremendous change in easing my experience.