The teaching-oriented Mingoville virtual world -- an online destination for tweens and teens to learn English -- soft launched in Denmark two months ago. Last week, the group announced a hard launch, some user stats, and bit more of the company's long-term business model.
"Learning English doesn't only take place inside the classroom," said Mingoville's founder and CEO Stephan Stephensen in a statement announcing the hard launch. "It was clear to us we had to be where the kids were -- using social media as a teaching tool."
To help kids improve their English competency voluntarily, he said, "we needed to cater to them in their own environment.... Adding a virtual world to our interactive English program also gives us the opportunity to provide better ESL education for everybody, regardless of their limited access to education and learning resources in their home country."
The founders have taken an unusual approach to the virtual world, pairing a publishing and events component to cross market and help monetize the project.
According to a company rep, the Portuguese publishing house Texto Editores has already designed and produced four books for children based on Mingoville's interactive English program. Texto Editores will sell the books to the Portuguese public system, some of which are already using the Mingoville program in English classes.
I had a brief conversation with Vladimir Chen, Online Operations Manager at Mingoville HQ in Copenhagen, Denmark.
VirtualWorldsNews.com: Vladimir, what's your user base currently?
Vladimir Chen: We are reaching 750,000 users worldwide.
VWN.com: Can you provide an update on partnerships as I know that's a large part of the plan at Mingoville?
VC: We are partnering with the governments of Denmark, Chile, Portugal, and the Faroe Islands; non-profit organizations including USEnglish Foundation, Pais Digital Fundacion and Shiksha; and in the commercial sector: Microsoft and TextoEditores.
VWN.com: Can you describe the customization features of the site?
VC: Kids build their own avatar by choosing a color, gender, dress up (t-shirts, trousers, hats, shoes etc.), and backgrounds. They earn coins and feathers by playing educational games inside Mingoville. Each student has his/her own portfolio where songs and words he/she has recorded are stored. Those songs and words are used in the virtual world. Coins are spendable, whereas the amount of feathers indicates the level of achievement in English progression in the Mingoville community.
VWN.com: How did you fund Mingoville?
VC: Right now, we are backed up by a line of investors. With the MMO, we've introduced a "freemium" model. There are currently three paying levels (3, 6 and 12 months) and a free level.
VWN.com: The virtual world apparently has a robust real-world element. Can you explain?
VC: In addition to [online], we are working with publishers to publish Mingoville books. Right now, the first Mingoville books have come out in Portugal and Brazil. Mingoville books will be available in other countries, which is why we are looking for more publishing partners around the world to integrate online and offline experiences. You can read and see more on our blog.
VWN.com: What about events?
VC: We have sponsorship contracts where Mingoville is a central theme of conducting a national-based Mingoville Olympics, for example in Chile. We are traveling to Chile in August where the Minister of Education and the President will be attending the Mingoville event.
VWN.com: Thanks Vladimir. Good luck with Mingoville.
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