Task Design for Language Learning in an Embodied Environment - Teaching through Multi-User Virtual Environments - page 276

the nature of 3D MUVEs is especially suited to
implementing task-based instruction.
Task-based instruction refers to an approach
where tasks constitute the fundamental unit of
planning and instruction. Some of its proposers
(Nunan, 1989; Willis, 1996), present it as the logi-
cal development of the communicative language
teaching movement since it is based on some of
the principles that were part of this movement in
the 1980´s. Some of these principles involve the
use of activities that promote real communica-
tion, activities in which the language is used to
carry out significant tasks since the language that
is significant for the learner impels the learning
process.
Nunan (1989) considers that a task can be
constituted by a group of activities, and that a
unit can be composed of a group of tasks. He
defines a task as:
“ As a piece of classroom work which involves
learners in comprehending, manipulating, produc-
ing or interacting in the target language while
their attention is principally focused on meaning
rather than form. “The task should also have a
sense of completeness, being able to stand alone
as a communicative act in its own right ” (p.10).
In sum, we can say that tasks are justified if they
help the student to develop the skills needed to
carry out real-world communicative interactions.
Above we have illustrated the breakdown of
different tasks that we have used in our language
programs. Nunan (1989) suggests several com-
ponents of a task which can be identified in our
analyses:

hanced objects, the avatars (teachers and
students). The diversity of resources used
caters to the students´ different learning
styles.

• Set of activities derived from the input

which sets out what the students will do
in relation to the input: in many lessons
there is an element of play and creativity
which is specific to this gaming environ-
ment (e.g. when the students get dressed up
and participate in a fashion show.)

• Roles for students and teachers: Students

have an active role during the whole class;
so, there is a lot of interaction carried
out among the teachers and the students
through the different groupings which pro-
vides plenty of opportunities for negotia-
tion of meaning and output adjustments.

• A setting: The environment also played a

crucial role in this lesson, especially at the
last stages of the lesson when students had
to role play shopping or returning clothes
or booking a holiday at a travel agent.

Our MUVE-based praxis builds on these foun-
dations and task design replicates good practice
where appropriate from traditional learning while
playing to MUVE affordances such as simulation,
role play, functional and situational aspects.

CONCLUSION

Voice-enabled 3D MUVEs clearly have enormous
potential to support foreign language learning-
the ability to manipulate the environment and
become an embodied part of that environment,
as an avatar, enables language learners to invest
their emotions and themselves into tasks where
they can 'exchange meaning' and where language
learning can really take place.
In addition to e-learning's more standard af-
fordances of flexibility of time and place, MUVEs
allow for the creation of immersive practice

• A goal: the goals of the tasks are authen-

tic as they are goals that can be carried out
in real life such as buying some clothes or
booking a holiday

• Some form of input which can be verbal

or non-verbal: The input in the lessons
is provided through different resources:
boards with images and text, notecards,
interactive quizzes and boards, sound-en-