LOS Virtual

We started using XR technology in our courses from January 2022. We are not, however, throwing the baby out with the bathwater. No way, José! 🙂 Everything we’ve created so far will still be fully functional; we just want to turn some of our high-quality teaching material into new learning experiences. We want our clients to enjoy our language and professional training to the max. 

Would you like to join LOS Virtual on the XR roller-coaster? 

Contact us for a short introductory discussion so we can settle on a customized course of action.

Navigating VR's Road Bumps

Embark on a journey to conquer your fears and hesitations surrounding virtual reality. Designed for both tech enthusiasts and novices, this lesson explores the evolution of technology and the potential of VR in the workplace and beyond. Join us as we dip our toes into the waters of VR technology, learn essential vocabulary and even discover exciting VR applications. You can download the lesson here

reality check

‘Are you for real?’ This rhetorical expression of disapproval is on the brink of being the actual question of our times. Will our avatars, our holograms, our digital selves exist in any meaningful sense, or should we treat them as theatrical constructs to be turned on and off like a TV? The following DIY lesson is not only thought-provoking, but introduces the vocabulary we will all need when it’s time to give our answer. You can download the lesson here

Lesson #1

LOS founder and CEO Martin Norling is preparing our first ever VR lesson using Spatial, an augmented and virtual reality collaboration platform that turns any room into a 3D workspace. Here are two screenshots from the lesson. Can you guess what it’s about? 

Here’s a glimpse of what “LOS Gallery” is going to look like. In this short video, Martin introduces a number of LOS materials we’ve recently tailor-made for our clients. Not only does Martin use his Oculus Quest 2 headset, but the accompanying track is him playing and singing his favourite song “If I Needed You” by the great Townes Van Zandt.

This gallery, which we will keep updated and share with people like you, is basically our virtual NEWSLETTER.

 

Make it snappy

Make It Snappy is an idiom used to encourage someone to hurry up. However, snap is also the colloquial noun for an informal photograph. So when LOS make it snappy this means an opportunity to improve your language skills by studying a selection of pictures personal to us – and there’s no hurry at all. We believe that the best way to learn new things is to make them your own. Simply check out our students’ and colleagues’ stories with each snap and get a good understanding of the relevant vocabulary. Go to Make It Snappy to see more. 

camping adventures

Is it a coronavirus-induced staycation for you this year? Maybe you are one of the millions worldwide going camping as you come out of lockdown? This lesson provides some excellent language to describe your experiences – or maybe just listen to someone else’s.

Young learners

Hiya! My name’s Martin. I’m the founder of, and CEO at, LOS Language Online Services. My 9-year-old son had his first Czech lesson at the beginning of February 2022. This lesson was kind of special. We agreed to use our Oculus Quest 2 headset and Spatial. How did the lesson go? It was thirty minutes long. My colleague and friend Michaela Loos did a wonderful job. She taught Samuel lots of useful vocabulary such as “knedlo, vepřo, zelo” and “pivo”, which is my favourite drink. We Czechs consume more beer per capita than any other country in the world. 🙂 Sorry, my mind went off at a tangent. Back to the lesson. Not only did Samuel learn and practise speaking and writing, but he also enjoyed moving things around and searching for his favourite photos. The fact he was up on his feet all the time made the lesson more engaging and immersive. Time flies when you’re having fun, right? I joined the lesson using my iPad and the Oculus app. I heard and saw everything Míša and Samuel did. He can’t wait to do this again soon. “LOS Virtual” is slowly starting to come alive. 

Samuel also enjoys playing basketball. Weather permitting, he plays it in the schoolyard every day. He joined the local basketball club to train with other children in November 2022. A few weeks later we practised a little bit of basketball vocabulary, both in Czech and in English, while playing 1-on-1 in VR. Before the last two games, Samuel had taken several photos of us ‘in action’ and created the poster you see below. He printed it out and invited his mom, my significant other, to watch the finals. The fact that he came up with this creative idea himself made the language practice more engaging and immersive. You can have a whale of a time during a VR lesson like this, right? Needless to say, I got clobbered in both of the finals. Samuel can’t wait to do this again soon. 🙂
 
Would you like to learn more about virtual reality in school classrooms?
 
I recommend reading Virtual Reality in Curriculum and Pedagogy by Erica Southgate and/or listening to the VR in Education podcast by Craig Frehlich. 

LOS VRcast

Do you believe it’s time to collaborate in a more immersive and engaging way? LOS VRcast is a safe place where we share, learn and practise how to use the latest technology in training and development. We’ll help you turn some of your high-quality T&D material into new learning experiences. Contact us for a short introductory discussion so we can settle on a customized course of action.