Resolutions, I've Had a Few

ESL Group Story Writing Class December 27, 2009

Resolutions, I've Had a Few

Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution? I have. I do. Every year I make a new New Year’s resolution and every year I break my resolutions.

I usually don't make them, but this year I decided to make a resolution for the 2010 New Year. I hope to do many things in this year, and I have to work hard to make all my wishes come true.

I decided to write down the things I have to do. First of all, I would like to learn English, because I want to learn more about the world.

I’m setting my computer monitor’s resolution and my T.V.’s resolution to “good” so that I can watch them. I decided to learn much more English from our good teacher. I decided to make a plan for my future.

I went to a New Year party, and I had a lot to drink. The next morning I was hung-over and I had forgotten all about it.

That's when I decided what my first New Year's resolution would be: Don't get drunk on New Year's Eve in 2010. Actually, that was my second resolution. My first one was to learn more English but the hangover made me forget that. So, my third resolution was...

Grin and Bear It

ESL Group Story Writing Class December 20 2009

One very, very snowy day I decided to go for a walk. I put on a thick wool sweater. I put on a heavy coat over that.  Next, I put on some boots and gloves. Then I went outside.

I know it might sound weird but I was going out because of my job. I wasn't heading downtown to get to an office; I was planning to go into the woods to take pictures of the snowy forest.

The weather was fantastic. The snowy forest was so beautiful. I took a lot of pictures..

But then I realized I wasn't as warm as I thought I would be. So even though I was a wearing a woolly sweater and a coat, I decided to go back home to put on something extra.

I went outside to enjoy the snow but suddenly I saw a fallen electrical wire. I went to report it to the manager of the utility company.

New logo


We need a new logo. The current one doesn't represent the school anymore and it's in violation of Linden law. I already received a first warning. I replied by blackmail so we're ok for now but it can't go on like this much longer.
We need a new logo.

Logo is a term used to refer to a graphic symbol or emblem commonly employed by commercial enterprises, organisations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition.
The new name is:
Drive-Through ELF (English as a lingua Franca)
English language school online

Blingees not accepted
Add Glitter to your Photos
Add Glitter to your Photos

Mushroom man

ESL Group Story Writing Class December 13, 2009

Charlie has always had a very vivid imagination. When he was five years old he used to imagine that tracks that he saw in the snow were made by giants who were searching for him. Of course, the tracks were really just adult boot-prints. When he was 14, he wrote a short story about an alien who lived in his pencil. He got an A+ for that. Even now, at the age of 75, he still imagines strange things. NEXT

He imagined that he was a policeman in space. He thought about the beautiful girl who lived next door to him.  He thought, "I tried to befriend her but she stopped me several times. He wondered what made her do that.

Some days he imagines he is a little tiny boy living in a mushroom house. And he thought how his life might be if he had made the right choices.

All of these random thoughts raced through Charlie's head as he sat on his balcony gazing up at the stars. -the girl next door who rejected his attention, the dreams of being a space policeman and a tiny boy living in a mushroom...

Charlie decided to stop daydreaming forever. So he went to the pretty neighbor’s door and knocked. He wanted to ask her out. She opened the door and a wave of mushroom smell overwhelmed him. He shrank and became so small that he could have really lived inside a small mushroom. The neighbor didn't see him because he was too small and closed the door, but Charlie was inside.

Beginner Classes

Our classes are open to students of every level.

Some classes are recommended for beginners.

  • Tuesday 2am PST: Voice. Picture description. Work on your skills of description - ask questions about words and expressions.
  • Wednesday 11am PST: Voice. Flat Mates. Scripted conversation. Vocabulary, reading, comprehension.
  • Thursday 6am PST, Text. Practical English, descriptions, exercises, word games. Bring your questions.
  • Thursday 10am PST: Voice. Vocabulary. Words and Idioms.
  • Friday 8am PST. Voice. Excursion class. Learn English exploring new places.
  • Sunday 8am PST. Text. Story Writing. During this class students will write a short story

Peach Island

ESL Group Story Writing Class. Sunday 8am PST
November 22, 2009

Peach Island

You can't imagine how happy I was when my teacher told me that I could attend the conference with her. Before the conference I had to prepare all the presentations for my teacher. I count the days, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Yes, we almost will start the trip.

The trip will be very useful for me because it mixes study with fun. We will go Peach Island. Some of my friends told me that it is a very nice place in China. I wish to knew more about that place, so this trip will give me a chance to learn more about it.

When we arrived I looked for information about Peach Island. But all the locals seemed to not know what I was talking about. I went for a walk in the old part of town and I found a small store without a sign. I went in.

As I entered the store, an old copper bell that was hanging over the door rang. I walked in and looked around. The shop appeared empty but for a large crate in the corner of the dimly lit room. "Hello," I called out. There was no response at first but then I heard someone or something moving behind a door at the back of the shop.

Week 47

15 classes this week School calendar http://www.drive-through-esl.info/ Click on the classes to read a description. Click on Help Team for information and assistance in your language 3 Text Classes Tuesday 12pm PST Verb Tense Thursday 6am PST Practical English (recommended for beginners) Sunday 8am PST Story writing (recommended for beginners) 2 Skype classes Wednesday 4pm PST Grammar Practice. Listening. Reading. Speaking. Sunday 6am PST Flat Mates/International news in English Reading. Pronunciation. Comprehension. 2 New Voice classes at 2am PST Tuesday Picture Description Thursday Bloopers. Correct funny mistakes.

Sachswakwa Gwinee

ESL Group Story Writing Class. Sunday 8am PST November 15, 2009 Sachswakwa Gwinee Once upon a time, not that long ago, not that far away there lived a very old and wise man. He wasn't wise because of some innate super-intelligence. He was wise because of all the strange experiences that he had throughout his long life. No one knew much about him. Everybody called him "Old Man" with respect. He arrived to our town 3 years ago. He slept all day. When the sun went down he sat outside his very modest home and started telling stories to anyone who would listen. When I met him for the first time, I was so curious to know more about this strange man with wonderful stories. I waited for a suitable time and asked him the question which I wished to know its answer. Who are you? Where do you come from? He smiled mysteriously in response to the question. He had an old white dog that stayed with him all day long. "Where do I come from, you say, kid?" said the Old man. “Are you sure this is the question you want to be answered?" "You know, sometimes one has to pick his question very carefully." "My name is Sachswakwa Gwinee." I tried to search my memory, It seems that I had heard this name before. Yes, that's right, I had seen this name in one of the encyclopedias. I hurried out the door and ran down the street to the library. I went up to the librarian and asked where the encyclopedias were kept. She said, "Duh, we don't have those. go google what you want." Then she pointed to a row of computers at the back of the room. I went to the computers but they were all being used. Five were logged onto Facebook and the other thirty were logged onto SL. Darn! I wrote my name on the waiting list and, while I was waiting, I went for a walk outside the library. A small door on the side of the building opened up just a little. A voice whispered to me: "You're looking for information about Sacha? Come inside." “Why did he consider my question strange?” I asked myself, while I was following the voice. What should I do about it? I couldn't search for information about him today. If the computers are occupied by people using SL, it means that I have to wait 18 hours at least before one would be free. So, I decided to ask my friend EagleEye about him. I met him and asked about Sachswakwa Gwinee. But he was giggling at first but at last he told me. Gwinee was a spy following many investigatory paths about scientific experiments on teletransportation. He most certainly made the government and any federal agent lose his track for the last 10 years. A lot of people were concerned that once he learned how to teletransport, he would use it to hide or escape. I thanked him for the information and hurried back to the library. I didn't trust this stranger's information. The computers were still in use so I convinced one of the users to let me take his place by promising to give him 100 linden when I got online. I typed Sach's full name into the search browser and after a moment only one result appeared. I clicked it open and gasped at what I saw. There was a image of a spiral, it was rotating. I could not take my eyes off it. I felt my body dissolving into particles. I could see the people around me looking at me and screaming. But there was nothing I could do. Then all turned black. Empty. Silent. I was without body, without matter. I was still there, but I was alone. Pure spirit. End of Pt.1 Alianaluz Rivera (T) ashraf Aulder EagleEye Scorfield Fiore Pinklady Giovanni Tweak Xu Beverly (CR)

Story of Drive-Through ELF

I have written a story of the school. How it started and how it works. Mistakes have been corrected by Alianaluz, but it's totally my point of view. What is yours? Is there more to say about the school? It has been published as part of the IV Congress of CyberSociety 2009 (wow!) Story of Drive-Through ELF Homepage of the IV Congress of CyberSociety 2009 3 presentations written by Oweny about scripting in SL , designing teaching tools in SL and two examples of teaching tools.

Observers and Researchers

This is the notecard that is distributed to observers and researchers when they visit the infohub. Sometimes researchers ask question and distribute questionnaires without authorization and without introducing themselves as researchers. You don't have to answer them. Please tell someone at the school. RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR RESEARCHERS AND OBSERVERS VISITING ESL SL (DRIVE-THROUGH-ESL) YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CONDUCT RESEARCHES, DISTRIBUTE QUESTIONNAIRES, OR CONTACT VISITORS, STUDENTS. IF SCHOOL STAFF IS PRESENT WHEN YOU VISIT THE SCHOOL, FOLLOW THEIR INSTRUCTIONS. OBSERVERS ARE ALLOWED TO ATTEND ONE CLASS FOR FREE. For instructions contact the Class Runner 30 minutes before class begins or go to http://www.drive-through-esl.info/school.html, for more information. Contact information can be found at the end of the notecard. If you are attending a lesson you are welcome to participate in class activities. DO NOT contact the teacher or students during the lesson. For assistance during class contact the class runner in IM. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT: * This is a private, commercial school. It is not a public place. * By conducting a research without authorization you might be breaking International Laws about Copyright Protection, violating Terms of Use and Community Standards of Second Life. * Your ignorance of the English language or Second Life, the general lack of understanding of the situation and context is NOT an excuse for violating these rules. * If you don't know what is going on, introduce yourself to school staff (class Runner, Help Team) and wait for his/her answer. * If no school staff is present, do not contact visitors. Information on how to contact school staff is noted at the end of the notecard. People come here to work or to learn English. If you talk to someone or if someone greets you ALWAYS introduce yourself as a researcher IMMEDIATELY. Staff members could be busy, you might be interrupting their work and disturbing the school's operations. Visitors might think you are part of the school staff and give you personal information you are not authorized to collect and use. Giovanni Tweak - owner e-mail gt@drive-through-esl.info Include: Organization (University, College, School, Marketing/Advertising Agencies, other) Research topic (be specific) Contact info of the teacher or supervisor Any other info or links that you think is relevant to introducing yourself and your organization. http://www.drive-through-esl.info/

New Classes: Tuesday and Thursday at 2am PST

2 new classes this week. Tuesday and Thursday at 2am PST. Both voice. New classes, new times. Not exactly new teacher. Monkicat Giha has taught at the school since the text-only days up to a year ago. She's back with a new computer. What time is 2am PST? It's early morning in South America. It's around lunch in Europe and North Africa and Middle East. It's afternoon or evening in Asia. Check what time it is for you HERE

New Classes Friday

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

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

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

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

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…

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

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

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

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
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

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

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

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.

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.

week 16

Beginner Program starts Saturday, April 25, at 6am PDT. 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.

Tue 24 March

Text Class at 12pm (Verb Tense) is canceled this week. Word Games at 1pm PDT. Letter by letter. Free Event

Charlotte's story

Charlotte's Story 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.

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.

Humor

Do not ask who they're laughing at. They are always laughing at you. Joke 1 Joke 2 Joke 3

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:
  1. Go to EDIT/PREFERENCES/GENERAL. The first preference is START LOCATION. Check mark SHOW START LOCATION ON LOG IN. Click on APPLY, then OK.
  2. Log out of Second Life.
  3. Go to the school's website: http://www.drive-through-esl.info/
  4. Click on JOIN CLASS. It's inside the orange navigation bar at the top of the screen)
  5. In the new page click on GO! at the bottom of the screen.
  6. In the new page click on TELEPORT NOW.
  7. You'll log in at the infohub. IM the class runner and ask to be teleported to class.
OR:
  1. Go to EDIT/PREFERENCES/GENERAL. The first preference is START LOCATION. Check mark SHOW START LOCATION ON LOG IN. Click on APPLY, then OK.
  2. Log out of Second Life.
  3. Start Second Life. Before clicking on Log In go to and type "Matamata" into it.
  4. Then click on Log In.
  5. 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.

Classes using Skype

WHY SKYPE CLASSES? For the students who have any kind of problem with Second Life. Computer does not meet system requirements WHAT HAPPENS DURING SKYPE CLASSES? Skype classes are like classes in Second Life without the avatar. Visit the class calendar and click on the lesson for a description. For the students who cannot come to class in Second Life. Second Life is a program that requires a good video card and a fast internet connection. Some computers are not powerful enough to start with, other computers become old and so slow that the students cannot log in anymore. Some students cannot use it and some other students have to quit. Students have to be at least 18 year old to register and use Second Life.

Wed 21 Jan. 4am PST. Beginner class

New class every Wednesday 4am PST. This class is for students who speak no English. Ask for info in your language This class is for beginners. Don't worry if you can't speak any English. This is a very basic class. Cette classe est pour les débutants en anglais. Ne vous inquiétez pas si vous ne parlez pas (ou peu) l'anglais. Cette leçon est très simple. このクラスは、英会話初心者のためのクラスです もしあなたが、英語を全く話せなくても心配しないで 欢迎来到英语初学者课堂, 这个课是为英语初学者开设的。即使你不会说任何英语也不要担心。这个课是非常基础的。 Estas clases están pensadas para los principiantes. No se preocupe si usted no comprende el inglés. Esta es una clase muy básica. Dieser Kurs ist für Anfänger. Mache dir keine Sorgen darüber, dass du kein Wort Englisch sprichst. Dies ist ein Kurs, in dem du erst einmal ein paar Grundlagen lernst Этот класс для начинающих. Не беспокойтесь если Вы не можете говорить на английском языке. Questa lezione e' per principianti. Non preoccupatevi se non parlate l'inglese. Aceasta clasa este pentru incepatori. Nu te teme daca nu stii engleza. Aceasta clasa te va invata de la baza.

New Prices

Prices will raise February 14. This is the first change in 2 years. Classes paid for before February 14 (at the old price) are valid indefinitely. For current students the new price will take effect April 1st. What are the new prices? Click here.

Class canceled

The class scheduled today at 10am PST has been canceled.

SPAM

The school channels (group IM, notices, infohub) are for school business and activities only. Everything else is SPAM. No exceptions even if: a) your tier date is coming up and you have to sell that parcel b) you think it's a good idea c) you are drunk d) you think you're God's gift to the world and can do no wrong e) you are a former teacher f) all of the above

Week 1

Short week: it begins today with 2 voice classes. 10am; 4pm PST. Friday 8am PST Excursion class (voice). Sunday 12pm PST Story writing class (text). Story class is back every Sunday at 12pm PST