Engagement in second life: language anxiety and motivation

Study abroad can provide valuable experience and motivation for language learners. However, practical constraints can prevent participation, and emerging research on students who participate shows that while engagement is a key for a range of factors including foreign language anxiety can cause students to miss out on opportunities to engage in the exchange environment. Virtual worlds are increasingly being harnessed to provide motivation and learning for students in close to authentic settings. Previous research investigating typed interaction between learners and non-player characters in Second Life found students experienced less foreign language anxiety than in the face-to-face classroom. Student perception of the authenticity of such interaction may be correlated with levels of foreign language anxiety and motivation. This chapter explores verbal interaction in the same environment with native speakers to propose a framework of foreign language anxiety and authenticity.