Press

Press Releases

Guatemala Goes Global: K'iche' Language Now Taught Online

Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, 22 January 2009 - - learners of the Guatemalan indigenous language K'iche' can now use the internet to have 1-to-1 lessons with native speaking teachers in Guatemala. Faster broadband speeds around the world are creating new opportunities for people to learn lesser-taught languages, such as K'iche'...

Minority Goes Mainstream: indigenous languages now taught online

La Paz, Bolivia, October 17, 2008 - - Language learners of minority and indigenous languages can now use the internet to learn with teachers anywhere in the world. High connection speeds in developing countries are creating new opportunities for people to learn languages that are less commonly taught...

Second Life Education Gets Real: New Methods in Language Teaching Combine Virtual Worlds with Real Life

La Paz, Bolivia, October 8, 2007 - - Educators are now finding that teaching in virtual worlds such as Second Life is most effective when combined with real life activities. The 3D virtual world, Second Life, provides language learners with new opportunities for socially interactive learning, and when it is blended with other online teaching methods language learning becomes a truly communicative, immersive and practical experience...

A Second Life for European Day of Languages: Language Treasure Hunt Event in Virtual World

La Paz, Bolivia, September 12, 2007 - - The European Day of Languages will be celebrated in the online world “Second Life” for the first time on September 26, 2007. Visitors will see how Second Life allows for more social and communicative language learning processes through task-based activities, including a virtual language-treasure-hunt. Winners will receive free language lessons with real teachers in the virtual world, Second Life...

Language Teaching Gains Second Life: Virtual Worlds Offer New Methods to Teach Languages

La Paz, Bolivia, June 19, 2007 - - 3D virtual worlds like Second Life are now being used by language teachers to provide simulation of real life environments and allow students to discover more creative and more realistic ways to improve their language skills...

Media Coverage

Journalists, academics, and bloggers have written about us in over a dozen languages. You can see a more complete list on our media coverage page.

Apprendre une langue dans un monde virtuel
Le Monde, France
lemonde.fr

Zweite Chance
Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany
sueddeutsche.de

Language Teaching Gains Second Life
The Seoul Times, Korea
theseoultimes.com

在虚拟社区“第二人生”中进行语言教学 / Teaching and Learning Languages in the Virtual Community of Second Life
He Wenchao
hewenchao.com

Avatar Languages、「言語の日」を記念してセカンドライフ内で宝探しイベントを実施
The Second Times
secondtimes.net

Avatar English
Ambientes Virtuais 3D em Educação
ambientesvirtuais3d.blogs.ca.ua.pt

برنامج Second Life يُعِيد التعليم الإلكتروني إلى الحياة

SaidaOnline Lebanese Saida City Online Newspaper :: صيدا أون لاين جريدة يومية صيدا لبنان

saidaonline.com

Company Overview

Profile

Avatar Languages is an online language school that offers 1on1 classes using Skype, Google Docs, online whiteboards and 3D virtual worlds such as Second Life. The school offers individual foreign language classes with professionally qualified and experienced native speaking teachers to students globally.

Avatar Languages opened its doors to students of English in June 2007 and to students of Spanish, Aymara and K'iche throughout 2008 and 2009. The school was established by Howard Vickers, a qualified English teacher with international experience, currently based in Bolivia.

Expertise

Foreign language education online

Company principals

Howard Vickers

Languages offered

English, Spanish Aymara and K'iche' (Quechua forthcoming)

Corporate Presentation

Biography: Howard Vickers

Avatar Languages was founded by Howard Vickers, who is a qualified English teacher with international TEFL teaching experience including with the British Council in Spain and private language schools in Russia and Bolivia. His educational background includes a Bachelors in foreign languages (German and Russian), a Masters in development economics and an MBA. Aside from German and Russian, Howard also speaks Spanish.

Howard spent some years working in International Development in Latin America and the Ex-Soviet Union. This extensive international background has enabled Howard to approach foreign language teaching as a truly global venture.

Product Description

Avatar Languages offers one to one classes in English, Spanish, Aymara and K'iche'. Lessons are with qualified and experienced native speaking teachers and are entirely online using programs such as Skype, Google Docs, whiteboards and virtual words like Second Life.

Avatar Languages has developed a communicative approach that focuses on each student’s particular needs. Students can choose the themes for the lessons and they are encouraged to create their own work to share with others such as audio podcasts and online presentations. Students are also encouraged to write texts for the collaborative encyclopedia “Wikipedia”.

For more information on classes at Avatar Languages or for a free demonstration, contact Howard Vickers or visit www.avatarlanguages.com.

Quotes by Students

“At first I was so surprised by this virtual school in Second Life. It was a totally new experience for me to learn English like this. Every class was a virtual experience, but at the same time, you get a real improvement in your English” says Bo Jian, student at Avatar Languages.

See what our other students say about us www.avatarlanguages.com/studentcomments.php.

Publications by Staff of Avatar Languages

Living and Learning in an Immaterial World by Howard Vickers in English Teacher Professional, issue 53, November 2007.

SurReal Quests: Enriched Purposeful Language Learning in Second Life by Howard Vickers in The Knowledge Tree, October 2007. Article also available on the Avatar Languages website.

Get a (Second) Life! by Howard Vickers in English Teacher Professional, issue 52, September 2007.

Avatar English poster presented at SLanguages 2007 Symposium in June 2007.

Videos, Presentations, Images and Logos

Please visit our multimedia page.

Background Information

You may like to read further information on online language teaching, "education 2.0", and minority languages to give you some background information to our field.

Media Contact

Howard Vickers
Director of Avatar Languages
+591 730 90211 (Bolivia)
howard@avatarlanguages.com
www.avatarlanguages.com