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    Inventory of ICT tools

Inventory of ICT tools and open educational resources

Welcome to the inventory of freely available online tools and open educational resources for language teaching and learning developed by the ICT-REV project! The inventory contains a list of tools that have been evaluated with specific criteria in mind. Read more
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This tool was developed within the framework of a cooperation agreement between the European Centre for Modern Languages and the European Commission

Second Life

Principal function(s): Game apps

A virtual world where users can interact with each other through 3D avatars in real-time. Users can create their own virtual world with their own avatars. Evaluation: If teachers and students share interests in the virtual world, this is a great tool to use since learners can use the target language in context. However, keep in mind that the creation of an avatar and the understanding of the available functions may take some time. Moreover, consider that Second Life is open to everybody, which may cause privacy issues when students engage with unknown users. More advanced IT knowledge is required to incorporate Second Life into a language learning curriculum in a fruitful way.

Cost: Free with registration + Paid premium plan

Website: http://secondlife.com/

  

Categories

Type Of Interaction

  • Group/pair work - classmates
  • Group/pair work - outsiders
  • Individual work
  • Individual work

Skills

  • Listening
  • Speaking

Content

  • Website/other users supply
  • You supply

Usability

Interface User-friendliness/complexity of the tool´s interface

Typical of games, slightly complex

Time efficiency Time needed for mastering the „how-to“ of the tool and a production of a task

Low. It takes some time to create a character

Interface language(s) The number of languages in which the tool is currently available/adaptable to

English + 8 other languages

Respect for privacy Does the tool require registration? Who can see my data? Can I remain anonymous?

Medium. Linden Lab, Second Life’s developer, collects various types of personal information such as first and last name, postal address, e-mail address, telephone number, username, and/or image (optional). However, it does not ask for sensitive information such as race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. Second Life uses chats and forums that are accessible by other users or the public, so it is important to consider this when sharing information. It also collects cookies for different purposes, among which marketing. Its privacy policy mentions the implementation of technical, physical, and organisational security safeguards to protect personal information. Second Life acknowledges users’ rights to correct, delete, or limit the use of certain data. It also mentions that users can withdraw consent, particularly for marketing communications. Moreover, it provides opt-out options for interest-based advertising and push notifications. The policy mentions that Second Life operates globally, and when transferring personal information, it takes reasonable steps to ensure data protection in compliance with applicable law. Second Life has another, more stringent privacy policy for young adults, that is teenagers over 16 years old. Liden Lab’s privacy policy mentions the GDPR but it remains unclear whether it fully complies with it. See more here.

Saving work for future use Possiblity to save your or others´ work for reuse/reproduction

Yes

Tailorability (If so, how?) Possibility of the tool to be used for a range of different activities (e.g. to what extent you can organize a project assignment with a central activity based on this tool)

High

Interactivity

Engagement

Collaboration

Communication

Technical requirements

Installation required?

Yes

Compatibility/ Operating System

Windows, Mac, Linux

Other technical requirements


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Filter these tools

Principal Functions
Type Of Interaction
Group/pair work - classmates
Group/pair work - outsiders
Individual work
Presenting (e.g. lecturing, storytelling)

Skills
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
Vocabulary
Grammar
Pronunciation
Intercultural

Content
You supply
Website/other users supply

 


Latest addition to the ICT-REV inventory

Playphrase (Tool to find the pronunciation of words from movies )

Playphrase is a tool that searches specific words or phrases out of movie snippets from a database of audiovisual media with over 60,000 phrases. In this manner, it provides real-life examples of words’ and sentences’ pronunciation. Users just have to type specific phrases, watch them being used naturally in context within popular movies and TV shows, and listen to their pronunciation. Playphrase works mainly with English. Playphrase is not open-source, but it is freely available. It does not require setting up an account or signing in. ... View details

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