Mission
To promote the use of virtual reality "VR" as a way of improving the way people learn or teach English as a foreign language.
Vision
To be the most highly-regarded supplier of evidence-based, user-centred VR language-learning content in the world, providing access to first-class language education to anyone, anywhere.
Why "Gold Lotus"?
The lotus flower is revered across the world and for civilisations has been regarded as a symbol of life and enlightenment.
The gold lotus however stands out as unique as it is said that this world was born from a golden lotus. The gold lotus therefore represents new worlds.
It is for this reason that the gold lotus embodies everything that is offered through the Gold Lotus project. As with the lotus flower, immersed in muddy waters, every student has their difficulties and obstacles in life which hold them back. Every teacher is burdened with tasks and habits that stifle their true potential. However through recognising that our limitations are in fact opportunities to become a better student or teacher, we can begin to reach new levels of knowledge and confidence within the English language. By embracing cutting-edge technology we can develop individually and collectively, thereby reaching new heights in every area of life, driving towards a new world with deeper awareness and greater empathy as a result.
The Gold Lotus project helps people rethink how they learn or teach English as a foreign language, by providing and creating digital tools fit for their needs.
Who's behind Gold Lotus?
Michael McDonald
After a combined 20 years of studying and teaching foreign languages, Michael set up the Gold Lotus consultancy to support students accelerate their language-learning potential and cultural awareness by using virtual reality.
Michael is working on a number of projects relating to English-language learning in VR, and collaborates with universities across Europe to research how immersive tasks can support the language learner or teacher. Spring 2020 also sees the start of two publicly-funded projects in Italian-schools which will offer a program to students and teachers to build their English skills in VR and connect them, in real-time collaborative environments, to other schools globally in a virtual cultural exchange program.
Some people who have helped the Project along the way ...
Anrick Bregman
An award winning cross-disciplinary New Realities Director, exploring immersive storytelling through VR, AR, film, games, and beyond. With a passion for human-centred stories, his work is research focused, and lies at the intersection of narrative and experiential technology to reach complex results that have a real-world impact.
Having collaborated with, and consulted for, the likes of Google, Microsoft, Nike, Sony, The Guardian, UNHCR, the V&A, and PBS, Anrick brings a wealth of experience to the Gold Lotus project.