Online English lessons for companies and their day-to-day business have been conducted throughout the pandemic via Zoom. Worldwide, companies have relied on the service for meetings and calls to keep business going. Last week, Facebook announced that they will be moving away from social media and begin trading as a MetaVerse platform as early as December 1, 2021.
What does the MetaVerse mean for businesses and how online English lessons are taught?
Speaking to journalists including The Sun, Meta’s Virtual Reality (VR) boss Andrew Bosworth said:
“The MetaVerse is a set of virtual 3D spaces where you can share immersive experiences with each other when you can’t be together... Instead of looking at a screen, you get to be in the experiences. You don’t have to experience it in VR. Most people initially will experience it on screens they already have.”
When we try to imagine what Virtual Reality (VR) looks like, video games with headsets that map your movements tend to come to mind. When the headset is on ,your physical, real-life movements control a character in the game. Dr. David Reid, Professor of AI and Spatial Computing at Liverpool Hope University, thinks the MetaVerse technology will change our lives just like the internet did. According to Dr. Reid “The MetaVerse’s ultimate aim is not just virtual reality or augmented reality, it’s mixed reality (MR). It’s blending the digital and the real worlds together. Ultimately this blend may be so good, and so pervasive, that the virtual world and the real world become indistinguishable [from one another]."
The idea is that every company would have their own platform in the MetaVerse to conduct business. Every employee would create an avatar or a computer generated character to represent them, turn on their computer log-in to the MetaVerse and you would be able to interact with your colleagues in the digital world. All of your movements and facial expressions that you physically make your avatar will mirror in the MetaVerse and be visible to everyone in your meeting. When you have entire companies with hundreds of employees working together remotely, the MetaVerse would bring the office to come into your home virtually.
The introduction of the MetaVerse means that businesses and their employees can work together in real-time without physically being together. It means that communication will be immediate and therefore potentially eliminate miscommunication errors before they happen. It will also likely mean far less emails, instant messaging apps will most likely be a thing of the past, and a reduction in phone calls. Beyond this much, we cannot truly speak to the business advantages of using the MetaVerse, as the platform is yet to be deployed. One thing is certain: because the original social media Facebook company is not forthcoming with security and data sharing, clients (or businesses) and their end users (or employees) are hesitant about switching over.
When it comes to online English lessons or corporate ESL classes- the MetaVerse could be a game changer. When business is conducted remotely and 70 - 90% of all communication is nonverbal it is a logical to conclude that the pandemic caused a lot of miscommunication; purely due to the abrupt switch to communicating outside of physical proximity. When learning a new language, facial expressions, tone etc all play into the message that is being conveyed.
It is unlikely that things will ever "return to business as usual" - the pandemic has likely forever changed how business is conducted. When employees don't need to be present in a physical work space to conduct work, and technology advances to a point that makes physical attendance an entirely moot point you have to sink or swim as a business owner. Providing employees, especially when business occurs internationally, with corporate ESL classes sets everyone up for success. The MetaVerse will change everything about remote work and can bring the language learning classroom anywhere, to anyone willing to learn. It is yet to be seen the impact it will have for online ESL classes, but the expectation is huge.
Corporate English training online can be a useful tool for the savvy business owner, for the international companies that need better communication and for the employees taking the classes. Offered in Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Haitian Creole and Vietnamese, our highly engaging In-Person English classes and interactive English classes online with live native-speaking teachers are easy to access from wherever you are. We offer Real-Time Small Group and Private Lessons. Take our free Online ESL Placement Test or register for one of our upcoming online English Language courses.
For more information contact our Language Training Department:
Phone: (617) 731-3700
Email: training@languageconnections.com