Helping students to learn the English second conditional by blending Internet resources with virtual worlds: The results of a study

摘要

The paper presents the results of a study whose main aim was to investigate the effectiveness of using Internet resources and a browser- based virtual world in helping a group of stu- dents to learn the English second conditional. The sample consisted of thirteen third year stu- dents studying English at a Polish senior high school. The data were obtained by means of a grammar test administered before (pretest) and after the intervention (immediate and two delayed posttests), a background ques- tionnaire and an evaluation sheet. The data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results indicate that the instruction aided the subjects in using the target structure more correctly, not only immediately after the inter- vention but also in the long run. What is more, the students considered the lessons as a great learning opportunity.