Practicing the English Present Simple Tense in Active Worlds

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to determine the usefulness of using Active Worlds in teaching the English grammar. Specifically, the study examined the immediate and delayed effectiveness of using the chat feature of the Active Worlds' virtual environment for teaching the English present simple tense. In addition, the study explored the attitudes of students receiving this intervention as compared to a traditional approach. The sample consisted of 22 Polish senior high school students. The learners in the experimental group were subjected to innovative instruction and the students in the control group were taught in a traditional way. The data were obtained by means of a background questionnaire, a grammar test and a post-questionnaire. The results show that both groups benefited from the instruction they received; however, the experimental learners' long-term retention turned out to be much superior when compared with their control counterparts. What is more, the experimental students expressed more positive opinions of the lessons.