CP7 Connecting with ESL students through games (Updated).

Noticing that my CP amount is falling short approaching the dead line I looked for alternatives to doing CP activities. After looking online for a bit I found two solutions to my problem. The first was a website concerning itself with finding English conversation partners among ESL learners. The website is here if any are interested. I posted my information, email and skype id, in the comment section to see if anybody would be willing to practice with a native speaker. I got a reply this morning. The second method I came across a post on Reddit in which a grad student in the UK set up an online Minecraft community dedicated to connecting English learners from Japan with Native speakers.
Some background information on Minecraft.

Minecraft is an independent game released sometime in 2010. It is an open ended world in which players interact using different types of blocks to build and create structures. The things created can be as simple as a house or as complex as a working 16 bit processor created in game. So to a good extent your imagination, constricted only by blocks, is the limit.

The prospects of minecraft being used as a learning tool is something relatively new. It makes sense though. It is a game that requires a type of co-operation never seen in online games.

Having given this introduction I present to you my CP through Minecraft on the ESL server called Mining English. Upon first log in I was greeted by one of the ESL students who lived in Japan. He was very excited to have another native English teacher join the fun and immediately asked me to correct his grammar as we chatted along.

At first his grammar seemed impeccable but the more we chatted the more I noticed awkward sentences, which I quickly corrected. He claimed that awkwardness would arise because he would translate, in his head, directly from Japanese. I began to ask him if there was any sort of speaking software used and he pointed me to a program used by the server named 'Mumble.' I installed it and made first vocal contact with my overseas CP. I immediately noticed that his speaking and listening level was no where near to what his grammar ability was. It seemed that he was only exposed to the written word in reception and production. He could come up with the language just fine and quickly in text but when it came to producing it in speech he had a hard time. He explained to me how the server operated and that once a week the owner of the server would host a tutoring lesson. My CP invited me to help tutor the server on Thursday so that will be an interesting activity. Before long he showed me the small town they were trying to create and told me that each player is given a building assignment. I chose to build the school were the virtual tutoring lesson would take place.

My CP and I began to build the school house. At this point I realized how important clear and precise communication was in coming up with a plan and executing it. We spent probably a good 2 hours working together and succeeded in completing half the school. This was the result:

Classroom

Classroom

Library

Library Basement (Complete with bats!)