Dear English teachers,

the British Council has created a virtual world so your teenager students can practice their English and improve their computer skills, while having a lot of fun.

Read all about it below.

Second Life for Teens - What is it?

Second Life is a social-networking site like YouTube, Facebook and MySpace. It has the normal networking, chat and communication functionality, but also offers a landscape in which you guide an avatar or character around.

It´s more than a videogame and much more than an Internet chat program – it´s a boundless world of surprise and adventure that encourages teens to work together and use their imaginations.

Our fun learning zone in the Teen-only area of Second Life helps facilitate the social-networking and intercultural dialogue that goes on in English as the lingua franca of the virtual environment. The visitors to our island can practise their English and meet other learners of English. Features include LearnEnglish activities, quests, a life-size chess game and virtual representation of the UK with icons such as the London Eye. Quality-assured content from UK providers will also be signposted.

Here´s the standard description we use with multiplier audiences: ´The British Council has created a learning zone for both group and independent learners in the Second Life virtual environment. Interactive LearnEnglish activities and quests based on UK culture are available for all Second Life residents registered as Teens.´

…And here´s the description we use with Teens and you can use when promoting the site among your students: ´If you haven´t heard of Second Life before, then the best way to describe it is to say it´s a very big, three-dimensional world that you can enter and explore through your computer. You can travel anywhere you like in the world, instantly! You can even fly. So, it´s like real life…but even better. ´If you´ve heard of ´social-networking´ websites like Facebook, YouTube and MySpace, then you´re getting close to understanding what you can do in Second Life. The difference with Second Life is that you get to choose a character to travel with so that you can make friends from all round the world.´

Who is Teen Second Life for?

A global community of teens aged 13-17. Only teens between the ages of 13 and 17 are allowed in (there is a separate version of Second Life for adults) so other than Linden Lab´s staff, Linden Liaisons, who are there to make Teen Second Life a safe and pleasant place to be, teens will interact with other teens their own age. Occasionally we may bring in teachers for special educational projects as well. When that happens we will always let residents know who they are and what type of project they´re working on. The students must have access to a 2MB broadband connection, either at home or in a local internet café.

The best way to explain something to someone is simply to show it to them. Have a look at this movie on YouTube.

Before your students can join Second Life for Teens, their parents should complete a permission form. Download the parental permission form here and send it to roberta.guimaraes@britishcouncil.org.br.

Enjoy the ride!

Roberta Guimarães
03 October 2008