Metaverse Utilization in the EFL Classroom - A Study. Second Life (Register Trademark) as Part of an Institution's Curriculum

Starting on April 2010, the Kanda Institute of Foreign Languages integrated the Metaverse application known as Second Life into the core curriculum for 840 new enrollments. As of April 2011, we enrolled an additional 760 students. This course, the Hybrid English Learning Program, is commonly referred to by the acronym: HELP. By taking the advantages of learning in immersive 3D environments, we aim to meet two objectives, 1) namely to enable students to remember and properly use learned phrases and expressions, and 2) using Second Life(R) as a tool to enhance the meaning and practicality of what is being learned. ,Although there have been several online English learning programs or services here in Japan, this endeavor represents the first time Metaverse technology has been utilized as part of a core curriculum; a curriculum structured upon classroom learning and interaction within the Metaverse. This paper endeavors to explain the following: the planning and development of HELP, the class structure, and the results of a questionnaire which measured whether using such an approach would reduce student timidity and assist student to gain more confidence in speaking English in different social environments.