Creating an avatar to become a "spect-actor" of one’s learning of English for specific purposes

Abstract

In this article, we shall examine why the creation of avatars in virtual worlds facilitates the learning of business English. We are committed to determining the factors that enable students in a French business school to consolidate their skills in English (from linguistic, socio-linguistic and pragmatic standpoints) and to develop more general competences (such as self-confidence, the management of space and time, interpersonal relationships) through the creation and use of avatars. Our article aims at showing that these skills are then transferable to real communication situations. Our research comes within the scope of a "communic-actional" approach of English learning. It relies on the notions of "distanciation", "fragmentation" and "spect-actor" of dramaturgs Bertolt Brecht and Augusto Boal, which give a scientific framework to our research.