Cypris Chat Newsletter
Volume II Issue 5 August /September
Written by Professor Merryman
STATS
Cypris Chat Members: 400+
Cypris Chat Website Members: 70+
eLearning Website Members: 250+
August Donations: L$55,000+ Thank you!
Rental fee: Rent paid until October 29th, 2010
Money: L$129,000+ (enough for rent through January)
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News
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- We moved to Cypris Village III in July. You’ll need to change your landmarks.
- We have a new website: http://cyprischat.org. Everyone can reset their password on the new site.
- We are truly hoping to find more native English speakers who would like to volunteer a couple hours a week to help the world practice speaking English. We might need to advertise.
- Ann Queenstown and a group of very active and talented members released the second issue of Cypris Chat Magazine. It is on the website.
- PinkSamurai Fairlady and Yomisma Aura have been volunteering to organize activities at Cypris Village. If you would like to help and practice your English, why not plan an activity. Fun!
- DukeVan Acker has been volunteering to tutor on Thursdays at 6AM and DJ live music on Sundays at 6AM every week. He is also Vice President and presenter for Cypris Society.
- Himiko Allen is still hosting an idiom practice activity on Fridays at 5AM. Native speakers are welcome to come and help the group by answering questions from the group.
- Mystie Slade is very busy with her mini-reading circle and all of the little jobs she helps me out with. She is looking for people to help her lead the circle. Contact her if you are interested.
- Professor Merryman is volunteering to help members with a writing project on the website called Virtual Worlds ePortfolio Project. Membership is closed. There are 15 members.
- Teen Grid is closing. SL is 16 and over now. We will have more teens coming to Cypris Village.
- Professor Merryman has bought Cypris Chat two new regions in OSGrid; Cypris Islands I and II
- Cypris Society had its first workshop in Osaka, Japan on July 24th and another is scheduled for September 18th.
- Cypris Society has a webpage at http://www.cyprissociety.org
- Professor Merryman has met with the office for NPO start-ups to begin the process of becoming an official non-profit organization.
- Professor Merryman is preparing to apply for a research grant. The theme will be around language learning in virtual worlds. He is giving three presentations this Fall on Cypris Chat.
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INFORMATION ABOUT CYPRIS CHAT
Cypris Chat is a group in Second Life dedicated to helping members practice speaking English. Through organized “Practice Times” we gather to share and learn about the world, both real and virtual. All group members understand and promote our mission and the four principles.
Our Mission
We strive to provide an educational yet fun and interesting environment for English learning and teaching. Our members have the chance to be part of a living community surrounded by others who are learning, teaching or simply interested in speaking English with people from around the world. We believe learning should be a way of life instead of a struggle to achieve.
Share
After joining our family, members should find ways to share what they have learned or done in Second Life. Tell us where you have been, what you have seen. Show us your safe toys, clothes, avatars and gadgets. Sharing promotes communication.
Respect
Second Life is very different from real life, but it is real for many of us. We all come from different cultures, different backgrounds and with different reasons for spending time in SL. We might not understand each other but we both have the same goal, to learn or teach.
Respond
Share your opinions about Cypris. Let us know what you think. Help us make this community a better place for you. Your feedback is what makes Cypris so great. Your opinion matters the most. Help each other with learner/teacher feedback. Communicate mistakes and successes.
Be Active
Speak. Talk. Ask questions. Say something. We are not passive learners, we are active! In order to improve, we must practice. To practice we must participate. To participate we must SPEAK! Less text chat and more voice chat. We are here to help our members improve their ability to communicate in English.
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From Professor Merryman
Cypris Chat is doing great! We’re growing. New people are coming every day from all over the world to practice speaking English. This means there are opportunities to speak almost 24 hours a day.
When I first started Cypris Chat in December 2008, I thought it would be best to keep the group only in Japan. This way it could be managed more easily. But as we grew, and friends of friends told their friends from different countries, it was clear that we were going to have to be an international group. I’m so happy it turned out this way.
Cypris Chat is always on my mind. I’m constantly thinking of new activities and projects to spur conversation in the group. I’m trying desperately to find a way to quit one of my jobs and find financial support to give me more time to spend on Cypris. To do this I am working on three different plans: One is to receive a grant through my university. Second is to become a non-profit company which would allow us to accept tax deductible donations in the name of research. And lastly might be to offer paid training and workshops for virtual world language learning.
In any case, Cypris Chat is doing well. Whatever happens will only help to keep it that way. Thank you everyone. We make the world a better place.
