Middlebury Interactive Languages Unveils MiddWorld Online—World's Most Immersive Virtual Academy for Language Learning

BOSTON, Nov. 19, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- At the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) 2010 Conference, Middlebury Interactive Languages (MIL), an academic leader in world language instruction for K-12 students, unveiled MiddWorld Online, a first-of-its-kind virtual academy for world language learning.  Sharing Middlebury College's world language expertise in an online delivery system, MiddWorld Online boasts an immersion methodology, utilizing the most authentic world language material on the market today for high school students who are preparing for college and future careers.

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Online delivery is a key role in the MIL company mission to offer all students the opportunity to gain world language proficiency skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking, as well as cultural competency.  MIL is committed to providing access to quality world language courses that will prepare this generation of students for college- and career-readiness in a 21st Century global marketplace. Based on Middlebury College's nearly 100 years of academic world language excellence, MiddWorld Online offers breakthrough features such as:

• Immersion methodology that encourages students to use the language, not just memorize words and phrases
• Coursework created by a team of highly-qualified Middlebury instructors and language experts from around the world
• Culturally-authentic content, including video shot across four continents, to further immerse students in the sights and sounds of the target language as it's used in different countries
• An extracurricular activities portal that is designed to offer engaging and fun activities to practice, make friends, and collaborate with other students in the target language
• Alignment with ACTFL national standards for proficiency in reading, writing, listening, speaking, and culture

A distinctive feature that sets MiddWorld Online apart from other products is Passport City, a special portal outside of the coursework, made up of fun extracurricular activities offering students additional opportunities to practice their target language.  The highlight of Passport City is an innovative online 3D roleplay game, developed as a virtual world using authentic environments and cultural activities—bringing to life the experience of being in a foreign country.   In keeping with MIL's immersion philosophy, within the game students will collaborate with others, go on quests, and generate original content, all within their target language.

"We're incredibly proud to launch MiddWorld Online," says MIL Chief Executive Officer Dave Benoit. "It's the best embodiment of Middlebury's world language expertise and commitment to cultural authenticity.  In addition to the academically rigorous coursework, features such as our roleplay game and other interactive exercises offer additional opportunities to practice, and bring true innovation to language learning.  By combining our proven methodology with cutting-edge technology, we are able to connect with young adults in a fun and interactive way, which we believe is critical to living a language. And because MiddWorld is delivered online, more students than ever before can be exposed to our renowned immersion methodology in order to more readily prepare for college and careers."

"I was a bit reluctant to participate in this pilot program; however, a lot of research and thought has gone into the development of this technology.  My students will really enjoy navigating through new lands and meeting new people in this virtual community of second language acquisitions," said John Linksy, a high school language teacher who participated in a pilot of MiddWorld Online.

A beta version of MiddWorld Online for Spanish I and French I will be available January 2011 with other world languages and levels to follow later in the year.  MiddWorld Online is compatible with most Flash-enabled browsers including Internet Explorer and Firefox.  This platform takes full advantage of computer hardware capabilities such as audio and microphone.

ACTFL 2010 takes place at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston from Nov. 19-21.  At the show, MIL will be featuring demonstrations of MiddWorld Online in the Middlebury College booth (booth # 2305).  Additionally, the company will be hosting a private debut of MiddWorld Online on Saturday, Nov. 20, at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. There, guest speaker Marcia Jarmel, co-director of the award-winning documentary Speaking in Tongues, will share her insights about the state of immersion-language learning.

Media interested in meeting with company spokespersons at ACTFL or learning more about this exciting technology are encouraged to contact Allison Citino at 310-578-7050 or [email protected]. For more information on MIL, please visit us at www.middleburyinteractive.com.

About Middlebury Interactive Languages

Middlebury Interactive Languages is poised to become the premier academic leader in world language instruction for K-12 students as part of 21st Century readiness.  Middlebury Interactive Languages (MIL) was formed in spring 2010 as a joint venture between Middlebury College, a top liberal arts college renowned for languages and international studies, and K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs for K-12 students. All working within rigorous academic teaching methods and ACTFL standards, MIL's product suite includes Powerspeak, accredited world language online courses for grades 3-12; MiddWorld Online, a virtual academy for high school students offering the most immersive product in the market today; Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy, a full-immersion residency program on college campuses; Avant STAMP assessment; and MIL Professional Development.

SOURCE Middlebury Interactive Languages