Two new classes this week:
Friday 4am PDT, Voice, Grammar
Friday 1pm PDT, Text, Grammar
Both classes will be taught by Pinkjeans Acker. The following week classes will be at their regular time: Friday 3am (Voice) and 12pm PDT
Time change
Here we go again. Back to Standard Time.
Second Life time will change from PDT to PST next Sunday. Early in the morning the clock will go back one hour.
If the time doesn't change in your country, classes will be one hour earlier than before in your local time.
In some countries it has already changed, in others there is no time change.
For a list of what goes on country by country click here
Second Life time will change from PDT to PST next Sunday. Early in the morning the clock will go back one hour.
If the time doesn't change in your country, classes will be one hour earlier than before in your local time.
In some countries it has already changed, in others there is no time change.
For a list of what goes on country by country click here
Week 43
Winter schedule: new Classes, new times and other changes
Two more classes: Saturday and Sunday at 6am PDT.
Monday: NEW format: 11am PDT: Business English
Tuesday: 12pm PDT: Yanto is back. Verb tenses. Text only.
Thursday: NEW class: 6am PDT: This is now a Text only class. Practical English. Recommended for beginners.
Saturday: NEW class, NEW time: Voice: VOICE. Word Games. Exercises, practice, word games. Homonyms, homophones, word roots.
Sunday: NEW time: Skype class: Flat Mates/International news in English Reading. Pronunciation. Comprehension
Two more classes: Saturday and Sunday at 6am PDT.
Monday: NEW format: 11am PDT: Business English
Tuesday: 12pm PDT: Yanto is back. Verb tenses. Text only.
Thursday: NEW class: 6am PDT: This is now a Text only class. Practical English. Recommended for beginners.
Saturday: NEW class, NEW time: Voice: VOICE. Word Games. Exercises, practice, word games. Homonyms, homophones, word roots.
Sunday: NEW time: Skype class: Flat Mates/Internati
Week 37
10 classes this week:
No excursion class this Friday 8am
Thursday 7am PDT Voice class in Skype
Saturday 4pm Song lyrics class
Skype classes: Wed 4pm PDT, Thu 7am PDT
Text classes: Tue 6am, Sun 8am
Classes recommended for beginners:
Tuesday, 6am PDT, Text, Seikatsu,
Wednesday, 11am PDT, Voice, Inge (Flat Mates)
Wednesday, 4pm PDT, Skype, Alianaluz (Reading, pronunciation)
Sunday, 8am PDT, Text, Alianaluz, Story Writing
Do you want to know what number a week is?
http://www.epochconverter.com/epoch/weeknumbers.php
No excursion class this Friday 8am
Thursday 7am PDT Voice class in Skype
Saturday 4pm Song lyrics class
Skype classes: Wed 4pm PDT, Thu 7am PDT
Text classes: Tue 6am, Sun 8am
Classes recommended for beginners:
Tuesday, 6am PDT, Text, Seikatsu,
Wednesday, 11am PDT, Voice, Inge (Flat Mates)
Wednesday, 4pm PDT, Skype, Alianaluz (Reading, pronunciation)
Sunday, 8am PDT, Text, Alianaluz, Story Writing
Do you want to know what number a week is?
http://www.epochconverter.com/epoch/weeknumbers.php
About Story Writing class.
Story Writing class runs on Sundays at 8am PDT. It's a text-only class.
Next Story Writing class will be Sunday, 16 August.
You can read the last story here. Next time we'll pick up from there.
There is no need to read the previous installments to join Story Writing class.
ESL Group Story Writing Class Instructions
Hello, welcome to the ESL writing-a-short-story class.
Before we proceed with our activity, please click the “Local Chat” button located in the lower left corner of your screen. This will display a History of everything that has been typed today and will help you easily follow along with the class activity.
During this activity, we will write a short story as a group. Everyone will participate. Each of us will take turns composing one or two sentences at a time.
This activity will take us one hour, and we will each get a few turns as we go around in a clock-wise fashion to complete the story.
After you have typed your sentence(s) into the chat bar, type “next” so that the person to your right knows to enter his/her sentence(s) to continue the story after you.
If you are not ready to type in your contribution to the story when it is your turn, type “pass.” That will alert the next person to continue without waiting for your contribution. You may enter your writing during the next round when your turn comes up again.
After you have entered your writing into the chat bar, I will correct any errors.
You will see an * in front of the corrections. If you have any questions about the correction, please ask them.
Please do not be afraid of making any errors as the whole class is here to learn and often more is learned from an error!
Once the person in front of you has typed in his/her sentences, and I am in the process of correcting, please start preparing yours for reading.
I will alert you a few minutes before we come to the end of the story, so that the last person in the group can think of a good ending.
If you have any questions during this activity, you do not have to wait until the end of the class to ask them. Please feel free to ask questions at any time during the class.
Does anyone have any questions before we start?
Okay, let's begin!
(Teacher now writes two or three opening lines for the story.)
Content created by Petra Paster
October 2, 2007
Revision by Lylou Despres
Updated Feb 2008
Revisions by Alianaluz Rivera
Updated December 31, 2008
Next Story Writing class will be Sunday, 16 August.
You can read the last story here. Next time we'll pick up from there.
There is no need to read the previous installments to join Story Writing class.
ESL Group Story Writing Class Instructions
Hello, welcome to the ESL writing-a-short-story class.
Before we proceed with our activity, please click the “Local Chat” button located in the lower left corner of your screen. This will display a History of everything that has been typed today and will help you easily follow along with the class activity.
During this activity, we will write a short story as a group. Everyone will participate. Each of us will take turns composing one or two sentences at a time.
This activity will take us one hour, and we will each get a few turns as we go around in a clock-wise fashion to complete the story.
After you have typed your sentence(s) into the chat bar, type “next” so that the person to your right knows to enter his/her sentence(s) to continue the story after you.
If you are not ready to type in your contribution to the story when it is your turn, type “pass.” That will alert the next person to continue without waiting for your contribution. You may enter your writing during the next round when your turn comes up again.
After you have entered your writing into the chat bar, I will correct any errors.
You will see an * in front of the corrections. If you have any questions about the correction, please ask them.
Please do not be afraid of making any errors as the whole class is here to learn and often more is learned from an error!
Once the person in front of you has typed in his/her sentences, and I am in the process of correcting, please start preparing yours for reading.
I will alert you a few minutes before we come to the end of the story, so that the last person in the group can think of a good ending.
If you have any questions during this activity, you do not have to wait until the end of the class to ask them. Please feel free to ask questions at any time during the class.
Does anyone have any questions before we start?
Okay, let's begin!
(Teacher now writes two or three opening lines for the story.)
Content created by Petra Paster
October 2, 2007
Revision by Lylou Despres
Updated Feb 2008
Revisions by Alianaluz Rivera
Updated December 31, 2008
ESL Group Story Writing Class July 26, 2009
ESL Group Story Writing Class
July 26, 2009
Just when I thought life couldn’t get any stranger, I met Pirot, a blind old man who had an amazing gift. You couldn't tell what his gift was by looking at him; he was a short elderly man with long white hair and dark glasses that covered his vacant eyes.
He passed the gift to me and said: "Hi, little girl, do not be sad, this is for you."
I couldn't wait to open it up, but I had to go home right away.
I was astonished by this old man Pirot who made me feel like the luckiest person in the world. I had never won anything before in my life other than a little action man that came with my McDonalds Happybox.
Pirot told me to open the gift. He said that I will have time to go home later.
A time-piece was in the box, but not just a regular time-piece, with it, I could travel in the past or in the future.
I had my doubts, so I asked my grandfather about it; he was as old as the old man who gave me the gift. He told me that time machines were not a big deal. All you needed was to put time in a bottle and squeeze hard, like ketchup. The problem was coming back. This is why we don't hear much about it.
That scared me a little, because I wanted to travel into the future (or into the past) but now I was afraid that I might not be able to return to the present!
I decided to go back to the old blind man and ask him about it.
I asked him if what my grandfather said was true. He said, “Yes, you can only use it to go to one world, if you choose that one, you will lose this one.
Then I asked him if he was from another time. He didn’t say much about it. It was as if he wasn’t happy talking about it.
I decided to try the time machine. Recently, I didn't do well on my English exam and I wanted to try to pass it again. Then I went back just 5 minutes before the exam. I was in class with the others students.
I was thinking that maybe my grandfather had been to another time and had come back or maybe he came from another time. Then they called my name for the English text, just like the other time... It was eerie.
It was only then that I realized I had not taken more time to study. I was so disappointed when I failed that I didn't even check my mistakes.
The teacher asked me if I was OK because I looked so pale. I nodded "yes" and hurried out of the classroom. I headed straight for my grandfather's house.
I nodded "yes" and hurried out of the classroom. I headed straight for my grandfather's house.
I ran very fast, but it seemed that I could not reach my grandfather's house.
"Where are you my grandpa, how can I find you?"
Then I thought to myself: "Man! You have the power of time in your pockets! You shouldn’t be wondering about English exams and getting to your grandpa."
So I took the box that contained the piece of time and decided to go to December 25th, 1900 because I remembered my grandfather received a time machine like mine back then. I found my grandfather's house and watched from outside his window.
"Stop grandpa!" I cried out. He turned to me and had an astonished look on his face. That’s when I realized I was naked. My clothes had not been transported in time. He came out of the door. The neighbors came out to see what was happening as well. I guess someone had called the police.
I grabbed frantically at the button on my watch. I didn't care where it would take me. I didn't care if I could never return to the present. I just wanted to hide my naked butt from my grandpa and his neighbors! I pressed the button and wound up somewhere in the year 79,000…
Suddenly, I was in a very strange place. You could not image what it was like, but I forgot that I was still naked.
So I looked around the corner and I saw the strangest thing I had ever seen in my life. There were lots and lots of naked people with watches like mine. I didn’t know if I should stay there with other time travelers.
I recognized one of them. It was Pirot. I called him and asked him to help me.
"oh ai" typed Pirot. “Au az u zot ire?" "What?" I said? "Uat uat ?" he answered.
At this point I had no idea how to go on. It's enough" said the teacher. You've made a few mistakes. Please try to correct them. You've passes the test.”
That's when I realized that this had all been a DAYDREAM. I was in my class standing at my professor's desk with my graded paper in my hand. I was so relieved to realize that not only had I passed my text but also I had never traveled in time. But just as I was ready to put it all out of my mind, I glanced down and saw a strange watch on my wrist…
July 26, 2009
Just when I thought life couldn’t get any stranger, I met Pirot, a blind old man who had an amazing gift. You couldn't tell what his gift was by looking at him; he was a short elderly man with long white hair and dark glasses that covered his vacant eyes.
He passed the gift to me and said: "Hi, little girl, do not be sad, this is for you."
I couldn't wait to open it up, but I had to go home right away.
I was astonished by this old man Pirot who made me feel like the luckiest person in the world. I had never won anything before in my life other than a little action man that came with my McDonalds Happybox.
Pirot told me to open the gift. He said that I will have time to go home later.
A time-piece was in the box, but not just a regular time-piece, with it, I could travel in the past or in the future.
I had my doubts, so I asked my grandfather about it; he was as old as the old man who gave me the gift. He told me that time machines were not a big deal. All you needed was to put time in a bottle and squeeze hard, like ketchup. The problem was coming back. This is why we don't hear much about it.
That scared me a little, because I wanted to travel into the future (or into the past) but now I was afraid that I might not be able to return to the present!
I decided to go back to the old blind man and ask him about it.
I asked him if what my grandfather said was true. He said, “Yes, you can only use it to go to one world, if you choose that one, you will lose this one.
Then I asked him if he was from another time. He didn’t say much about it. It was as if he wasn’t happy talking about it.
I decided to try the time machine. Recently, I didn't do well on my English exam and I wanted to try to pass it again. Then I went back just 5 minutes before the exam. I was in class with the others students.
I was thinking that maybe my grandfather had been to another time and had come back or maybe he came from another time. Then they called my name for the English text, just like the other time... It was eerie.
It was only then that I realized I had not taken more time to study. I was so disappointed when I failed that I didn't even check my mistakes.
The teacher asked me if I was OK because I looked so pale. I nodded "yes" and hurried out of the classroom. I headed straight for my grandfather's house.
I nodded "yes" and hurried out of the classroom. I headed straight for my grandfather's house.
I ran very fast, but it seemed that I could not reach my grandfather's house.
"Where are you my grandpa, how can I find you?"
Then I thought to myself: "Man! You have the power of time in your pockets! You shouldn’t be wondering about English exams and getting to your grandpa."
So I took the box that contained the piece of time and decided to go to December 25th, 1900 because I remembered my grandfather received a time machine like mine back then. I found my grandfather's house and watched from outside his window.
"Stop grandpa!" I cried out. He turned to me and had an astonished look on his face. That’s when I realized I was naked. My clothes had not been transported in time. He came out of the door. The neighbors came out to see what was happening as well. I guess someone had called the police.
I grabbed frantically at the button on my watch. I didn't care where it would take me. I didn't care if I could never return to the present. I just wanted to hide my naked butt from my grandpa and his neighbors! I pressed the button and wound up somewhere in the year 79,000…
Suddenly, I was in a very strange place. You could not image what it was like, but I forgot that I was still naked.
So I looked around the corner and I saw the strangest thing I had ever seen in my life. There were lots and lots of naked people with watches like mine. I didn’t know if I should stay there with other time travelers.
I recognized one of them. It was Pirot. I called him and asked him to help me.
"oh ai" typed Pirot. “Au az u zot ire?" "What?" I said? "Uat uat ?" he answered.
At this point I had no idea how to go on. It's enough" said the teacher. You've made a few mistakes. Please try to correct them. You've passes the test.”
That's when I realized that this had all been a DAYDREAM. I was in my class standing at my professor's desk with my graded paper in my hand. I was so relieved to realize that not only had I passed my text but also I had never traveled in time. But just as I was ready to put it all out of my mind, I glanced down and saw a strange watch on my wrist…
Week 29
12 Classes this week.
1 New class:
Wednesday 6am PDT. Voice. Giovanni. Reading, comprehension.
1 new time:
Story writing class (Sunday) is now at 8am PDT (it was at 12pm PDT)
4 Classes recommeneded for beginners:
Tuesday 6am PDT. Text. Seikatsu. Drive-Through ESL
Wednesday 11am PDT. Voice. Inge. Flat Mates
Wednesday 4pm PDT. Skype. Alianaluz. Reading, pronunciation, comprehension.
Thursday 10am PDT. Voice. EagleEye. Vocabulary, idioms
Please note:
Monday 4pm PDT (VOICE) will starts at 4:10pm PDT
Wednesday 4pm PDT (SKYPE) will starts at 4:10pm PDT
1 New class:
Wednesday 6am PDT. Voice. Giovanni. Reading, comprehension.
1 new time:
Story writing class (Sunday) is now at 8am PDT (it was at 12pm PDT)
4 Classes recommeneded for beginners:
Tuesday 6am PDT. Text. Seikatsu. Drive-Through ESL
Wednesday 11am PDT. Voice. Inge. Flat Mates
Wednesday 4pm PDT. Skype. Alianaluz. Reading, pronunciation, comprehension.
Thursday 10am PDT. Voice. EagleEye. Vocabulary, idioms
Please note:
Monday 4pm PDT (VOICE) will starts at 4:10pm PDT
Wednesday 4pm PDT (SKYPE) will starts at 4:10pm PDT
Skype Classes
New day, new time for Skype class: now it's Thursday 6am PDT
READING - MIX CLASS -VOICE Flat Mates/International news in English
VOICE. Flat Mates/International news in English Reading. Pronunciation. Comprehension.
Test voice before class.
Skype required for this class.
The first class is free. If it's the first time contact the Class Runner 30 minutes before class. When you are logged in Skype contact: esl-xu-help-team
The other Skype class is Wednesdays at 4pm PDT
VOICE. Reading, pronunciation, comprehension.
"Reading Between the Lines" During this class students will read short texts out loud for comprehension and to practice pronunciation in English.
Test voice before class.
Skype required for this class.
The first class is free. If it's the first time contact the Class Runner 30 minutes before class. When you are logged in Skype contact: danicherrie.destiny
READING - MIX CLASS -VOICE Flat Mates/Internati
VOICE. Flat Mates/Internati
Test voice before class.
Skype required for this class.
The first class is free. If it's the first time contact the Class Runner 30 minutes before class. When you are logged in Skype contact: esl-xu-help-tea
The other Skype class is Wednesdays at 4pm PDT
VOICE. Reading, pronunciation, comprehension.
"Reading Between the Lines" During this class students will read short texts out loud for comprehension and to practice pronunciation in English.
Test voice before class.
Skype required for this class.
The first class is free. If it's the first time contact the Class Runner 30 minutes before class. When you are logged in Skype contact: danicherrie.des
Recommended for Beginners
Tuesday 6am PDT. Text. Seikatsu. Drive-Through ESL
Wednesday 11am PDT. Voice. Inge. Flat Mates
Thursday 10am PDT. Voice. EagleEye. Vocabulary, idioms
Wednesday 11am PDT. Voice. Inge. Flat Mates
Thursday 10am PDT. Voice. EagleEye. Vocabulary, idioms
Voice Test
You know if voice works or not but do you know how you sound?
Fiore Pinklady, the queen of landmarks, has found this.
If you go there you can listen to how others hear you. Speak, sing, breathe, drink, smoke, sigh, move your bums on the chair, type.
Only you can listen to yourself so bring your broken microphone and see if it works.
Monday 8 June
Conversation class - TAKE 2
This time the text will have less mistakes.
There will be time for conversation.
Mon, June 8, 4pm – 5pm PDT
This time the text will have less mistakes.
There will be time for conversation.
Mon, June 8, 4pm – 5pm PDT
Teacher: Alianaluz Rivera
Class Runner: DaniCherrie Destiny - BRA
VOICE - Conversation - Dieting Submitted by emapen.
During this class we will read a text written by a student, correct it and discuss the content.
Test voice before class.
The first class is free. If it's the first time contact the Class Runner 30 minutes before class.
Limited number of seats available depending on technical conditions. Cost: 1500L$ (3.8 euro; 5.8US$; 600YEN) More classes: http://www.drive-through-esl.info/index.html
Class Runner: DaniCherrie Destiny - BRA
VOICE - Conversation - Dieting Submitted by emapen.
During this class we will read a text written by a student, correct it and discuss the content.
Test voice before class.
The first class is free. If it's the first time contact the Class Runner 30 minutes before class.
Limited number of seats available depending on technical conditions. Cost: 1500L$ (3.8 euro; 5.8US$; 600YEN) More classes: http://www.driv
Skype classes
New day, same time for Skype class: now it's Wednesdays at 4pm PDT
Reading, pronunciation, comprehension - VOICE "Reading Between the Lines" During this class students will read short texts out loud for comprehension and to practice pronunciation in English
The other Skype class is Sunday at 6am PDT
READING - MIX CLASS -VOICE Flat Mates/International news in English
Reading, pronunciation, comprehension - VOICE "Reading Between the Lines" During this class students will read short texts out loud for comprehension and to practice pronunciation in English
The other Skype class is Sunday at 6am PDT
READING - MIX CLASS -VOICE Flat Mates/Internati
Monday, 1 June, 2009
Conversation class - NEW
Mon, June 1, 4pm – 5pm PDT
Teacher: Alianaluz Rivera
Class Runner: DaniCherrie Destiny - BRA
VOICE - Conversation - Dieting Submitted by emapen.
During this class we will read a text written by a student, correct it and discuss the content.
Test voice before class.
The first class is free. If it's the first time contact the Class Runner 30 minutes before class.
Limited number of seats available depending on technical conditions. Cost: 1500L$ (3.8 euro; 5.8US$; 600YEN) More classes: http://www.drive-through-esl.info/index.html
Class Runner: DaniCherrie Destiny - BRA
VOICE - Conversation - Dieting Submitted by emapen.
During this class we will read a text written by a student, correct it and discuss the content.
Test voice before class.
The first class is free. If it's the first time contact the Class Runner 30 minutes before class.
Limited number of seats available depending on technical conditions. Cost: 1500L$ (3.8 euro; 5.8US$; 600YEN) More classes: http://www.driv
Monday, 11 May 2009
Teacher: Alianaluz Rivera
Class Runner: DaniCherrie Destiny - POR
VOICE - Prepositional Phrase
Test your knowledge of prepositional phrases and learn new ones. Multiple choice quiz.
Class Runner: DaniCherrie Destiny - POR
VOICE - Prepositional Phrase
Test your knowledge of prepositional phrases and learn new ones. Multiple choice quiz.
9-10 May 2009
Saturday: 9 May 2009
6am PDT: Airport. Voice. Beginner Program 2/8
Short review of previous class (Café) Vocabulary and phrases related to Travel, custom, security controls. Idioms of the day. Quiz
1pm PDT: Word Games. Text. Idioms.
If you know you make a point. If you don't know you learn something.
Sunday: 10 May 2009
6am PDT: Skype class: Voice: Reading, pronunciation, comprehension. This lesson is a mix of Flat Mates and International News (Wednesday 10am PDT and Monday 11am PDT in Second Life)
12pm PDT: Story Class. Text. During this class students will write a short story.
6am PDT: Airport. Voice. Beginner Program 2/8
Short review of previous class (Café) Vocabulary and phrases related to Travel, custom, security controls. Idioms of the day. Quiz
1pm PDT: Word Games. Text. Idioms.
If you know you make a point. If you don't know you learn something.
Sunday: 10 May 2009
6am PDT: Skype class: Voice: Reading, pronunciation, comprehension. This lesson is a mix of Flat Mates and International News (Wednesday 10am PDT and Monday 11am PDT in Second Life)
12pm PDT: Story Class. Text. During this class students will write a short story.
week 16
Beginner Program starts Saturday, April 25, at 6am PDT.
8 Classes:
3 beginner classes this week:
8 Classes:
1 | Sat 25 Apr | Café |
| 2 | Sat 2 May | Airport |
| 3 | Sat 9 May | Hotel Reception |
| 4 | Sat 16 May | Bank |
| 5 | Sat 23 May | Hospital |
| 6 | Sat 30 May | Garage/Salon |
| 7 | Sat 6 June | Home |
| 8 | Sat 13 June | Review |
3 beginner classes this week:
- Tue 6am PDT. Text
- Thu 11am PDT. Text
- NEW Sat 6am PDT. Voice. BEGINNER PROGRAM. Class 1
Week 14
This week the class calendar is about half than usual.
The regular calendar will return next week.
The regular calendar will return next week.
Tue 24 March
Text Class at 12pm (Verb Tense) is canceled this week.
Word Games at 1pm PDT. Letter by letter.
Free Event
Word Games at 1pm PDT. Letter by letter.
Free Event
Charlotte's story
Charlotte's Story
by Didi Delphin
by Didi Delphin
It was a dark autumn day, which you’d only prefer to be alone by yourself. Charlotte, who had just completed a long and exhausting work on a book, felt herself very tired, not ready for writing even a single line more, and thought about doing something that would help her relax her mind.
A close friend of her had been telling Charlotte about a virtual world platform called “Second Life” for the last couple of weeks. Charlotte liked strategy-type computer games but she knew if she messed with one of them, ten or fifteen days would not be enough and she did not want to be trapped in this new virtual world. She used to think of computer games as “traps” that steal her time in those days but she downloaded the viewer client of Second Life anyway and installed it on her computer’s hard drive, without realizing what a “booby trap” it was!
With the first login experience, she noticed she was enchanted with this virtual world which made Alice’s Wonderland a boring child’s play. But with the first day, she felt the sorrow of not being able “to talk and interact” with others. She used to get away quickly, without saying anything to people who greeted her, and knowing that she could not continue a conversation, she used to avoid even saying just “Hi” to people around.
A couple of times, she came across some people who wanted help from her but she couldn’t do anything because she could not speak English. She was unhappy to look like a rude, unpolite girl in this “Second Life” of hers. English was one of her essential weaknesses that she felt making her unefficient in her real life too. She was recognized as a qualified and succesful person in her business life, doing high quality works and when she told her business contacts she could not speak English, they thought she could then speak French or Italian instead. Language barrier was her vulnerability! She had got good marks in high school and university life at English lessons with only learning some simple cliches by heart but she tought she was not gifted for learning foreign languages and she had not worked on it hard enough.
But on the other hand she was a good student and looked like she’d always be that way. Researching, learning was her essential passions and her life in Second Life was no different.
She used to make global searches everyday in SL; having fun to find activities she was interested, like courses or seminaries on personal development or film festivals, book fairs and live concerts.
One day, while she was doing her usual routine searches, she came across the announcement of “ESL SL” and immediately visited the “School” without losing time. She was guided by the school’s owner Giovanni Tweak there, who gave her detailed information. He tried to help so sincerely and wholeheartedly that Charlotte thought he definitely was an idealist; and she knew she was very rarely wrong on her first impressions.
Giovanni suggested her to join the class for the first lesson and did not accept any payment for it; the first lesson was free of charge.
Charlotte was like an “alien” in the class: everybody was talking, chatting but she could not understand a single word and she felt herself frustrated. Could not help her impatient nature, she thought that was totally meaningless and left the class.
Giovanni and a class runner, who later became a good friend of her, did their best to get her involved with the lessons in the upcoming days. But she thought, that was useless and the efforts of these nice people would never work.
One day, Giovanni called Charlotte and informed her that a new class was opened for people from her own country. Charlotte then felt herself happy and wanted to join the classes. She tought, the lesson would be in her native language and a teacher from her country would come. She realized she was wrong, when she came to class the other day but she never had time to worry about that. Because the lesson was unbeliavably fun, and the teacher was simply excellent!
Eventually she’d realize that the contents of the lessons and the main system was constructed very good. Charlotte would soon forget she went there to learn a language, because she’d have wonderful friends and get very much fun!
Giovanni presented a very good opportunity to learn English and suggested Charlotte to work for ESL SL. Charlotte felt herself very lucky. That was an awesome advantage because Charlotte would not pay the regular fee for the lessons as an employee and she’d have the chance to make practice while working at the Infohub. Besides, she felt herself as a member of the “family”.
Charlotte followed the classes and worked at ESL SL for almost a year. Because of the hard work in her real life, she had to give a break her English education in SL.
She still thinks she’s at the beginning of the road. But now, at least she’s able to express herself in English. She can interact with people and join conversations when she logs in SL, without any hesitation. And she smiles happily when from time to time, people she met in SL think she’s English.
Time Change
So many things are not yet globalized!
This year SL (North America) changed first. Europe will change the last Saturday of March. Asia doesn't change at all. Check you country here.
Take 5 minutes and check the calendar for changes.
Some classes have moved 1 hour later in PDT (SL time), so they are at the same time if the time has not changed in your country.
This year SL (North America) changed first. Europe will change the last Saturday of March. Asia doesn't change at all. Check you country here.
Take 5 minutes and check the calendar for changes.
Some classes have moved 1 hour later in PDT (SL time), so they are at the same time if the time has not changed in your country.
About this school
DRIVE- THROUGH ELF (English as a Lingua Franca)
Drive-through
A drive-through, or drive-thru, is a type of service provided by a business that allows customers to purchase products without leaving their cars. The format was first pioneered in the United States in the 1940s[1] but has since spread to other countries.
Lingua Franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to communicate between persons not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both persons' mother tongues, often a basic form of speech with simplified grammar.
Lingua franca is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic history or structure of the language.
Lingua franca may also refer to the de facto language within a more or less specialized field.
DRIVE-THROUGH ELF (English as a lingua Franca)
When you want, when you can, when you need.
DRIVE-THROUGH ELF n.
1.A school where students can come to lessons from their homes, offices, internet cafes or from wherever a computer and an internet connection is available, using free software, without need to register or reserve in advance.
2.An English lesson where students can improve their ability to communicate in English; can ask any question about English.
Can you live without the internet? Yes you can.
Can you live without a computer? Yes you can.
But you're not.
Same for the English language.
Are you active? Do you exercise, practice any sport, go to the gym to improve your general health and well being?
Same for the English language.
How did you learn to speak in your native language? How did you learn to write? How do you learn new words?
Same for the English language
And what about computers, the internet. It's all about information, aren't you learning something every moment?
Same for the English language.
At DRIVE-THROUGH ELF the first class is free, so you can try. You can contact us in your first
language.
We'd like to hear from you.
Drive-through
A drive-through, or drive-thru, is a type of service provided by a business that allows customers to purchase products without leaving their cars. The format was first pioneered in the United States in the 1940s[1] but has since spread to other countries.
Lingua Franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to communicate between persons not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both persons' mother tongues, often a basic form of speech with simplified grammar.
Lingua franca is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic history or structure of the language.
Lingua franca may also refer to the de facto language within a more or less specialized field.
DRIVE-THROUGH ELF (English as a lingua Franca)
When you want, when you can, when you need.
DRIVE-THROUGH ELF n.
1.A school where students can come to lessons from their homes, offices, internet cafes or from wherever a computer and an internet connection is available, using free software, without need to register or reserve in advance.
2.An English lesson where students can improve their ability to communicate in English; can ask any question about English.
Can you live without the internet? Yes you can.
Can you live without a computer? Yes you can.
But you're not.
Same for the English language.
Are you active? Do you exercise, practice any sport, go to the gym to improve your general health and well being?
Same for the English language.
How did you learn to speak in your native language? How did you learn to write? How do you learn new words?
Same for the English language
And what about computers, the internet. It's all about information, aren't you learning something every moment?
Same for the English language.
At DRIVE-THROUGH ELF the first class is free, so you can try. You can contact us in your first
language.
We'd like to hear from you.
Lost/stuck/frozen during Excursion class?
.
If you get lost or crash during Excursion class IM the class runner.
If you get stuck in a place (just like it happened last Friday) and you cannot walk away, and teleport doesn't work, do this:
OR:
If you get lost or crash during Excursion class IM the class runner.
If you get stuck in a place (just like it happened last Friday) and you cannot walk away, and teleport doesn't work, do this:
- Go to EDIT/PREFERENCES/GENERAL. The first preference is START LOCATION. Check mark SHOW START LOCATION ON LOG IN. Click on APPLY, then OK.
- Log out of Second Life.
- Go to the school's website: http://www.drive-through-esl.info/
- Click on JOIN CLASS. It's inside the orange navigation bar at the top of the screen)
- In the new page click on GO! at the bottom of the screen.
- In the new page click on TELEPORT NOW.
- You'll log in at the infohub. IM the class runner and ask to be teleported to class.
OR:
- Go to EDIT/PREFERENCES/GENERAL. The first preference is START LOCATION. Check mark SHOW START LOCATION ON LOG IN. Click on APPLY, then OK.
- Log out of Second Life.
- Start Second Life. Before clicking on Log In go to and type "Matamata" into it.
Then click on Log In. IM the class runner and ask to be teleported to class.
How many students per class?
Friday there were 10 students at Excursion class. Sunday there were 7 students at Voice class (Skype). It all went well but we reached the limit and we closed the class.
So please keep in mind that:
The maximum number of students per class depends on their level, the type of class and technical conditions.
The class runner and the teacher can decide at anytime to stop adding new students and close the class.
If you arrive late the class runner might tell you that the class is closed.
If you know in advance you will attend the lesson, please tell the class runner.
LAST STUDENT:
The class runner and the teacher want to let as many student as possible attend the class, but their priority is to make sure the class runs smoothly (enough time for each student, good technical conditions)
If technical conditions become worse after adding a new student, the class runner might ask the last student to leave.
It's a very sad thing, so try to not be the last student.
Btw, Excursion class didn't really go well, but it's another story.
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