0522 Second Life

This is the fourth time I play Second Life, and I get familiar with it gradually. However, it also means that it's time to decorate the scene of our final project! But, because this is our last time to play Second Life together in class, we decide to take a picture with everyone.

(1) With everyone.

(2) With Headplaner.

Today's main mission is to build everything we need in our project. Because the background of our final project is in the ancient Chinese court, we have to buy an ancient Chinese house and decorate it.

The concept of the ancient court.

Everyone has their own duty in decorating the scene. Vicky and Daven is in charged in finding the ancient house. They find two interesting house.

(3) This is the first house they find, but they think it's not proper for building an ancient court, thus, we don't use it.

(4) This is the interior scene of the house we finally choose.

We finally choose the second house as the picture (4) and (5). Therefore, we start to decorate it. I am in charge of building the background of the court (as the sun rise from the sea in the above picture). Teacher asks me to come up with a picture that is related to our script, but I haven't come up with yet. Therefore, I build a oblong board first.

(5) The board and me.

In the end of the class, we are still decorating it, I am looking forward to the outcome of our decoration. I think it will be funny. Otherwise, I have to come up with the concept of court's background quickly. It's so hard to me!

Useful Website in Learning Languages: Lang-8

This is an useful website which is called Lang-8 in learning different languages. I use it to learn Japanese, but it is also for learning English and other languages.

This is the beginning scene of the website:

You can sign up with twitter, facebook, or create a new account.

And, in filling your own information, you have to offer your native language which can make others know which language you can help them. Otherwise, you also have to offer which language you want to learn. You can select two kinds or more at the same time.

Then, it will help you how to use the website. On Lang-8, you can make friends with foreigners, and also correct other people's diaries.

 Because I select Chinese as my native language, in the main page, it will show me the diaries which the writers want to learn Chinese. So, I can help them in correcting their Chinese.

Of course, I can write diaries on my own. Generally, because I select English as the language that I want to learn, the first blank which is "the language which you want to be corrected" will be selected as English automatically. And then, you can type whatever you want.

 After you post an article, someone, generally native speakers, will correct your article. They can press "修改(correction)" to correct your sentences. If your sentences don't have any problems, they can also press "perfect".

If you press "修改(correctiom)", it will show the tools you can use in correcting. Otherwise, you can also add extra things in "備註欄 (note)".

 This is the scene that I use the website to learn Japanese. This shows the scene that someone corrects my article. You can also chat with others.


Lang-8 is really useful in learning languages. It allows native speakers to correct your articles, so the correctness of your articles will be more reliable. If you want to learn foreign languages, I sincerely recommend you to use the website. In Lang-8, you can not only learn foreign languages but also make friends with foreigners.

This is the URL of Lang-8: http://lang-8.com/

Interaction and Conversation

About Writing

0501 Second Life

This time, teacher wanted us to try voice chat and build something in Second Life.

At first, I didn't know how to build objects or cast objects to the grounds, and threw a lot of trees and grass onto the ground. But, later I could even change the shape of the object. I made a big cube first. Then, I pulled it up and down, forth and back to change its position. Next, I use the function "stretch" to change its shape. I made a cube become a thin board. Teacher then ask us to add photos and texts onto it. I changed its texture to add photo onto the board.

I first randomly picked a photo in the computer to try the function.  This is the picture of lighthouse.

Then I encountered a trouble, which is the size of the picture was too big, so that whenever I uploaded the photo, the game would jump out to the scene of login by itself. So, I tried and tried, and finally changed the texture of the board successfully.

I used a photo which is taken by my classmates, Head Planer, and used Power Point to add texts on the photo. I typed "Don't cross the line!" not only because teacher told us that our neighbor prohibits us to cross the line to his land but also recently, there are too many social protests in Taiwan, and the polices always use "roadlocks" to circle out the scope of activities. 

The next requirement was that we needed to use Audacity to record the our verbal conversations which we utilized the function "voice chat" with others. Thus, I chatted with Head Planer. We discussed about why she made a anti-nuclear sign and also chatted with each other mostly in Chinese.

And, here is the audio, and the picture in it was took during our conversations:

I had funny and interesting experiences. From now on, I can "talk" to the other foreigners in Second Life!!

   

0410 Playing Second Life

 Today, Professor let us play Second Life again.
  At first, we played by ourselves. And, I looked around the Freebie with Head Planer. There, I bought my big angel feathers, and she bought the panda head and tight red shorts. We took picture together happily!

Me and Head Planer.

Later, all of our classmates were teleported to the Beautiful Beach. We gathered there to try the function of camera eye. I tried the bird-eye view and rotated the scene for 360 degree to view the surrounding in different angle. Teacher then asked us to take pictures of our classmates.

This is Tina! I asked her to sit down to let me take a picture. She is a Vampire. She wore a beautiful red gown with a black veil and small crown on her head.

This is Daven! She changed herself to be a tiger! It's cool and cute! 

And, this is Vicky! I don't know why she didn't have hair. But, she also wore a beautiful gown which the lower hen of gown is pink.

I took picture with my classmates.

Later, teacher took us to visit the places which are made by our senior colleagues.  We visited the maze which is made by a senior colleague, Templar. Teacher said that he is good at playing on-line game. He only spent ten minutes to build the maze. He is excellent! I forgot to take a picture of his maze, but it was funny to play the maze. I didn't get lost in it. Then teacher took us to a coffee shop called "等一個人 (waiting for a person)". It's a famous novel that is written by 九把刀 in Taiwan. Besides, its movie will hit the theater this year! It's also made by senior colleagues. They are so excellent. I wonder if I can be as good as them.

The scene of "等一個人咖啡館"

My first experience in Second Life

　　When Professor told us that we have to play "Second Life" in class, I was so excited and thought that I must be good at playing it because I have experiences in playing online game. However, after the first venture in Second Life, it turns out that I may not be an "expert" in the game.

　　The first time, Professor let us venture in the game by ourselves. I learned how to buy clothes in Freebie which is served to sell clothes and accessories in Second Life, and how to change clothes. I went to many places. I learned how to use gesture function, thus, I could dance with other players. Sometimes I would get lost in the game, but it was not so worse that prevent me from chatting with others. At the beach, I met Russians and Chinese. The Russians used microphones, thus I could hear them talking in Russians. However, I hadn't learned how to use voice chat, thus I couldn't talk to them. On the other hand, I chatted with Chinese delightfully. Two of them told me that they played the game for the same reason as me. Otherwise, one of the Chinese told me that she comes from the Zhejiang province, and she will visit Taiwan in August! Just at that time, Professor teleported us to the land which she buys and wants us to build the city, thus I could not chat more deeply with her. What a pity!

　　At the place which Professor teleported us, I met my classmates. It seemed like that we were all in the water. And, some of them wore suits, some of them wore ceremonial dresses, and I worn a vest and jeans with tanned skin. I really had fun that day.

The final scene of the game that day.

Useful English Learning APP: Dictionary.com

        I want to recommend a great app for ESL learners. It is called "Dictionary.com". It's not only available for Android users but also Apple users. It's not simply a normal English dictionary that provides meaning explanation, audio pronunciation, etc. It also has other useful functions for English learners. I will introduce you in the following paragraphs:

 ➔This is the beginning scene of the App.

  

　
　
　
The App provides a word for learning everyday:

Just like the picture shows us: a word will appear on the screen as soon as you open the app. And, if you don't know the word, you can click it, and acquire more information for this word, such as its meaning, example sentences, origin, etc.

        Then, when you look up the dictionary, except its modern and up-to-date definition and content, it also contains its origin and history, related forms , similar words that may be confused, and synonyms.

➔ The example of looking up a word.

        Otherwise, you can also find other useful function here:

1. Favorites: You can add favorite words you look up.

2.Translator: It provides over 30 languages, perfect for ESL and reliable translations into English.

3.Blog&Slideshow: They both provide helpful knowledge in using English, such as the changed way of using a certain expression (see pic[1]), and different phrases relating to a certain word (see pic[2]). 

        

➔ pic[1] : Do You Say Daylight "Saving"　　➔ pic[2] : A Look at 8 Expressions with Heart

 Time or Daylight "Savings" Time?

　　I think it is really worthwhile to download the app, especial for the nonnative learners.