Second Life

Photo from Necrodisiac

Previous two fashion photos from Second Life Pros

Did you happen to catch the episode on PBS about the online video game called Second Life? Second Life is a virtual world that allows you to explore the entire world and interact with other players. Now, with the risk of sounding too 'geeky' I'd like to share a little information with you.

In order to get in the game, you first need to create an avatar which is a personal representation of yourself. For starters, you can just choose one of the delivered avatars. Once you get more skilled you can modify your avatar to be a closer or modified representation of yourself. Once you have your character or avatar created, you are free to roam and explore your Second Life. You can fly through art galleries, architectural homes or would you believe take a class? You can even roam through clothing stores and choose your diva outfit. If you've ever dreamt of being a fashion designer, you give it a short in your second life. However, my intuition tells me that learning the software to create your fashion line may be quite involved.

What really caught my interest about this video game is the opportunity to learn. I have often wanted to learn a second language and I am hoping that sometime soon, Languagelab will provide this opportunity. Currently, Languagelab is teaching English as a second language . Languagelab uses techniques like having a large magnetic board with word magnets that can be manipulated to form sentences. Students interact with a teacher, practice speaking, listening and reading. The Second Life blog states "It’s long been known that immersion in an environment with native speakers is the best way to practice and learn a second language. " I think it would be fun to learn a second language in a creative environment while interacting with other players and learning how to speak a second language.

If you have the time, check out Second Life, play around, interact with some of the other avatars. Check out some of the fashion designs some of the developers have created.