Credits — ImmerseMe - Using virtual reality to learn languages

Credits

ImmerseMe has been a wonderful journey across 3 continents with 100s of collaborators so we can't thank the following people enough for their generous time, energy and expertise to help string everything together! ✌

Major Contributors

  • Scott Cardwell, co-founder and CEO of ImmerseMe hopes that this will help bring people together and create conversations.

  • Jeremy Hanff, co-founder of ImmerseMe who is also a Chartered Accountant and keeps a watchful eye over company finances.

  • Sam Leslie, co-founder of ImmerseMe who brings his skills in sales and engineering to help design a successful company.

  • Mark Maguire and the team from Callaghan Innovation for their generous financial support.

  • Kate Damen, Italian teacher and creative genius responsible for helping to design some of the world-class content in ImmerseMe.

  • Brooke Fitness and his wonderful team at FourthMedia for their long hours writing source code to bring ImmerseMe to life from inception until mid 2019.

  • Jack Coleman and his passionate team at Double Yolk who have picked up the senior development mantle since Nov 2019.

  • Tim Armstrong, freelance videographer and Scott's world tour travelling buddy, who is responsible for all the great trailer videos.

  • Chloe Briand, Head of Languages at MLC Melbourne who has provided invaluable advice, support and marketing.

  • Our beautiful partners who willingly support us to travel around the world and let us spend weekends discussing governance decisions.

  • Our family and friends who bug test, give constructive feedback, spread the word on social media and keep us sane through hours of editing.

RESEARCH COLLABORATORS

Kickstarter campaign

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/scottcardwell/immerseme-using-virtual-reality-to-learn-languages

Adele J. Scott, Alex Devereux, Alex Gregory, Alex Malcolm, Alex Poulin, Alexis Tucker, Allie Cunninghame, Amelia Boland, Amy, Andrew Lee, Andrew Patterson, Angela Lee, Angela Marshall, Angus C, Anna Favrin, Anna Vincent, Ant Jackson, Arjun Haszard, Ashby Family Trust, Barbara Stewart, Beate Starke, Beatrice Farrer, Ben Abraham, Ben Kidd, Ben Wallace, Bill Lowe, Blair Kennedy, Bridget Ashby, Bryan Cook, Brylea Smith, Cam Loveridge-Easther, Carla Remmen, Caroline Nelson, Cathy Sim, Chaosroot What Did You Do Ray!, Charlie Lane, Chloe Briand, Chris Becker, Chris Clearwater, Chris Shepherd, Chuck Slogrove, Claire McSherry, Clare Feeney, Cordolin, Corina Meroth, Damian Kearns, Daniel Walker, Darren, David Booth, David Glover, David Miller, Dean Delaney, Dean Revell, Diane Crockett, Diego De Hoyos Calderon, Dora Tsao, Doreen Ng, Doug Hancock, Douglas and Linda Kemsley, Edwin Darlow, Elizabeth Young and Neil Charles-Jones, Ellen Cooper, Emma McAllister, Emma Saunders, Eric Poulin, Esther Cardwell, Evan Hawksworth, Fiona Ali, Fiona Keyanonda, Gautam Atmakuri, Gemma Claridge, Gene O'Sullivan, Gerald Sutton, Gillian Gordon, Giselle McLachlan, Goina Thedinga, Greg Smith, Griffin Skudder, Hadleigh Wilson, Hamish Bell, Hamish Cardwell and Tania Sawicki Meed, Hayden Gyles, Helen, Helen Selaries, Henriette Tuzzolino, Hilary De Joux, Ian Graham, Ian Walker, Ishbel McLachlan, Jackie Hart, Jaime Grant, Jake Hynd, James, Jane Loughnan, Janine Knowles, Jason Wu, Jeffrey Lee, Jeni Lemberg, Jeremy Hanff, Jeremy Kenealy, Jess Beevis, Joanna Asse Drouet, Joe Nidd, Joel Labes, John & Mary Leslie, John Bullivant, John Rodriguez, JohnnyFive, Josh Lowry, Josh Short, Juan Velasquez, Jude Wilson, Judith Geare, Jules Riley, Justin Clark, Justin Smith, Kale Panoho, Karina Bhikha, Karyn Van Wijngaarden, Kate Damen, Kate Dowling, Kate Walker, Kayla Matheson, Kel Potts, Kelly Harrison, Kelly Seales, Kerie Smith, Kerri Williams, Kim Majkut, Kohan McNab, Laura D'Amico, Laura Rawnsley and Tom Newman, Lauren Williams, Leandra Robinson, Leighton Riley, Linda Coubrough, Lisa Chung, Logan Elliott, Lydia Findlay, Lynne Sinclair, Maddie Ashby, Malvina Craig, Marc Matsas, Marilyn Hanff, Masayoshi Ogino, Matt Winter, Michael Milne, Michael Ridger, Michael Templeton, Michelle Lodge, Mini Li, Nadia Lee Keane, Natalie Paterson, Nathan Rose, Nathan Spence, Nick Caruso, Nick Lambrechtsen, Nick Whiting, Nickie West, Nicola and Bruce Cardwell, Nicole Stockham, Nikki Farrell, Oliver Cardwell and Jane Emerson, Owain John, Owen West, Paula Prouse, Peter Driscoll, Preeyah Patel, Rachel Eggers, Rachel Horsburgh, Rachel McFarlane, Rachel Philip, Rachel Reese, Raelene Miller, Raquel Roncero, Rich Fowler, Richard Pangilinan, Richard Taylor, Ryan Roselli, Sam Hall, Sam Johnson, Sam McCloy, Sarah Jones, Sarah Little, Sarah McNeill, Sarah Ramsay, Sasha Szafranski, Shali Silva, Shennae O'Boyle, Simon Anderson, Simon Bell, Simon Olliver, Simon Wang, Skye Mayring and Karen Heston, Stephen Geddes, Steven Murugayah, Tamron Galbraith, Tamsyn Hayes, Tessa Cameron, Tim Vaughan, Tom Morley, Trey H. Butler, Trudi Wigg, Tyson Hunt, Ulrike Narins, Victoria Escaip, Vivian Fu, Vorasuang Duangchinda, Wendy Newman, Will, Will Elliott, Will Fairgray, Wolfdreamer4, Yuuki Ogino

Language supporters

  • English supported by the Kennedy family

  • French supported by David and Jennifer Miller

  • Japanese supported by Brian Schwartz and Angel Tsu-Schwartz

  • Chinese supported by John and Mary Leslie

  • German supported by Bruce and Nicola Cardwell

  • Spanish supported by Speak Spanish - Spanish Language Institute ( www.speakspanish.co.nz)

  • Italian supported by the Ashby family

  • Indonesian supported by Steven Murugayah

  • Greek supported by Alphington Grammar School

  • Dutch supported by the Hanff family

LANGUAGE EXPERTS

Judit Vilalta - Assistant Spanish Writer

Judit is a 24-year-old language teacher and linguist who at the moment works as a Spanish language assistant in St. Cuthbert’s College and St. Peter’s College, in Auckland (New Zealand). Last year, she worked as a language teacher in Ottawa (Canada). However, she is from Gironella, a small town close to Barcelona (Catalunya). In 2016, she graduated from Pompeu Fabra University for her degree in Applied Languages and, a year after that, for her Master’s in Teaching Training at the same university. Judit speaks four languages. Catalan and Spanish are her native languages, and she is also fluent in English and French. Judit enjoys sports and traveling. Her job allows her to travel all around the world while teaching and thanks to that she can enjoy her two passions.

Sebastián Hernández - Assistant Spanish Writer

Spanish teacher in Primary and Secondary School. I have worked as a teacher of the following subjects: Social Sciences, Spanish, Arts and Craft and Physical Education. Currently working as a Spanish teacher at Westlake Girls High School, Westlake Boys High School, Rangitoto College and Albany Senior School in Auckland (New Zealand).

Ariana Emminghaus - Assistant German Writer

Ariana Emminghaus (born in Saarbrücken, Germany on November 9th, 1995) studied abroad in Lebanon, PA, USA in 2011/2. After graduating from German High School in 2014, she worked as an extra and as a guest actress at Saarländisches Staatstheater and as an assistant director at Überzwerg Theater am Kästnerplatz. She also volunteered to teach 6-10year old children in an acting club. In 2016, she started studying acting at the State Academy of Performing Arts Baden-Württemberg in Ludwigsburg before majoring in Creative Writing at the Swiss Literature Institute in Biel, Switzerland. She is currently enrolled and living there. Most notably, she performed a solo show called "a common thought (and i had it) (not anymore)" which was invited to the Festival of the Arts in Bern. Most recently, she won first prize in the Theater category of The International Poetry and Theatre Competition “Castello di Duino” in Italy.

Photo credit: © Christoph Kläser

Ayano Masuda - Assistant Japanese Writer

Ayano Masuda is an international student studying Bachelor of Arts Event Management and Digital Media at Auckland University Technology, and a performer of Tsugaru Shamisen (Japanese traditional stringed instrument) belonging to Auckland Shamisen Group Neo. I took a leap of faith at 15 years old and moved to New Zealand for the education and life-style experiences. I enjoy to challenge myself to the limit, play golf or any sports, and wonder around the world. Genuinely hoping to help lots of the people all around the world with my native Japanese through ImmerseMe!

Alberto Cauli - Assistant Italian Writer

Alberto Cauli holds a BA in History and MA in History and Society, both from the University of Cagliari (Italy). He teaches Italian at the University of Auckland (New Zealand), where he is currently waiting for oral examination of his PhD in Italian. His doctoral research focuses on the relationship between fascism, geographic explorations and colonial propaganda. Alberto’s most recent publications are A colonizing agricultural company in Somalia. The Duke of Abruzzi’s Società Agricolta Italo-Somala in the colonial fascist system (New York: Palgrave 2018) and The Duke of Abruzzi’s Noble Idea: Winning the North Pole for Italy. Popularization and Legacy of the Arctic Expedition led by Luigi Amedeo of Savoia in 1899-1900 (Terrae Incognitae, in press). He is also interested in military, aeronautical and naval history from the 1920s to 1940s. In 2008, he published the book Ernesto Campanelli. Vita e imprese di un trasvolatore (Sassari: Delfino Editore 2008). In 2015, with Massimiliano Caria, Cauli published Cho Oyu. First Sardinian above 8000 metres (Sassari: Delfino Editore. In 2014, he lived in Toronto, where he taught Italian language as a private teacher. He regularly attends international academic conferences to present parts of his research. Alberto joined ImmerseMe as an Assistant Italian writer in 2017.

Sue Cooper - Assistant Indonesian Writer

I’m Sue Cooper, an Indonesian teacher in Perth, Western Australia. I’ve also taught Italian and French, and I try to inspire my love for languages in others. I’ve been President of the Westralian Indonesian Language Teachers’ Association and I’m involved in the Balai Bahasa Indonesia in Perth. I’ve taught Indonesian Year 7-12 for the past 20 years at WA secondary schools, and developed student exchange programmes with Bali and East Java. I’m very excited about ImmerseMe as a great tool to help students develop proficiency in languages!

Denise Anagnostou - Lead Greek Writer

Γεια σας! I have a background in languages, language education and translating. I have also conducted research into Greek language education in Australia, as well as literacy in secondary schools. My current research is looking at how the Greek and English languages are spoken by the Greek community in Victoria. Languages are a huge passion of mine-I have begun studying my sixth language and hope to move on to many more. It has been a great pleasure to contribute to ImmerseMe and help create content to help others out there engage in language and culture and develop their communication skills.

Noémie Nioura - Assistant French Writer

I'm originally from Switzerland but recently moved to Leeds, UK after spending several months in India. I have a passion for writing and connecting with people, which is why languages have always appealed to me. After studying psychology, English and linguistics, I got a job in the marketing industry, creating content using my multilingual skills and communicating with people all over the world. In my free time I love to climb, boulder, hike and write poetry.

Shuping Liang - Assistant Chinese Writer

Shuping Liang is currently a Chinese and English language teacher at Epsom Girls Grammar School. She started teaching English as a second language for general, academic and business purposes in China 10 years ago. Her students ranged from teenagers to adults. Shuping then began teaching teenagers Chinese after she moved to New Zealand three years ago. She is also a keen language learner herself. At the moment, Shuping is learning Spanish with the help of some online programmes. She believes technology plays a significant part in learners’ learning progress by providing them the opportunity to experience a language at their own pace. In her spare time, Shuping enjoys painting and planning her next painting.

Jasmine You - Lead Chinese Writer

Jasmine You (Chinese Teacher). I have a Master of Arts degree in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language. I did some experiments and research of Chinese disyllabic tonal phonetics among international students. I started teaching Chinese in 2012. I used to be a volunteer Chinese teacher in the Confucius Institute of Middle Tennessee State University in the U.S. for one year, teaching Chinese with the immersion method and integrating culture in teaching Chinese language. I had my own class, Chinese level from beginner to advanced in College of International Education, Zhejiang Gongshang University, also worked as an administrator for academic affairs and Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK). I focus in creating a climate where learners develop self-confidence and a love of learning. I am eager to help students develop global awareness through language acquisition.

Christin Anggrahini - Lead Indonesian Writer

My name is Christin Anggrahini. I’m a bilingual speaker of Indonesian and English. I grew up both in Jakarta and Sydney. I enjoy teaching languages and have taught Indonesian, Japanese and EAL (formerly ESL) in secondary schools.

I have extensive experience in creating exams for the NSW Indonesian and Literature course, support materials and marking the HSC.

When I’m not teaching, I like to have a quiet time reading and relaxing. Alternatively, I can be found hanging off some indoor rock climbing walls or hanging off real rocks around Sydney. I have visited many countries, but my goal is to visit as many Indonesian islands as possible.

Aida Font Alonso - Assistant Spanish Writer

Aida Font Alonso, 24, Barcelona. Graduated in Applied Languages. I have worked as a language teacher for 5 years and I keep learning while teaching. I am currently in New Zealand teaching Spanish as a Language Assistant. I have also worked as a Translator for different companies.

María Jesús Mera Murillo - Assistant Spanish Writer

Spanish teacher from Guadalajara (Spain). Passion about teaching and learning languages, discovering new cultures and traveling around the world.

  • English - Kate Damen, Tom Newman, Laura Rawnsley, Izzy Escott, Jacqui Mautner, Ling Ling Zhou, Nikki Huang

  • French - Francoise Escot, Guillaume de Rougemont, Anna Reed, Amélie Tremelo, Tessa Clarke, Claire Jones, Saana Vallotton, Sophie Voirol, Sonia Mata Teixeira, Julien Seiler, Esther Bourgoin-Lamy, Noemie Nioura, Inès Allag

  • Japanese - Cathryn Cooper, Masa Ogino, Jono Glassey, Misako Kobayashi, Reina Mollgaard, Rachel Austen, Fiona Keyanonda, Shusuke Sahashi, Nobuko Watanabe, Sena Shimotsuma, Kazue Takeda, Bronwyn Thomson, Alice Lynch, Midori Lynch, Natsuki Horie, Ayano Masuda

  • Chinese - Jessica Li, Faymie Li, Hersey Liu, Angel Lin, Hiu Fai To, Shuping Liang, Stanley Wang, Crystal Tian, Jasmine You

  • German - Clare Fleming, Sabrina Wehrs, Nicolas Hellstern, Miriam Leonhardt, Anja Decker, Julia Rietze, Julia Terzic, Lara Jueres, Marie Lerch, Ariana Emminghaus

  • Spanish - Maria Perez, Victoria Escaip, Carmen Vilchez, Roberta Venere, Lucia de Miguel, Mariano, Kerri Williams, Cheryl Johnson, Rosa Guevara, Julia Manzanero, Carmen Vilchez, Maria Blanco, Ane Zabaleta, Judit Vilalta, Aida Font, María Jesús Mera Murillo, Charles Tamay, Sebastián Hernández, Sara Barreiro del Cerro, Miguel Matesanz

  • Italian - Kate Damen, Alberto Cauli, Andrea, Bruno Salvio, Valentina Chiavaroli, Franca Moretti, Laura Del Ben, Kate Johns, Cesare Giulio Popoli, Angelo Tolicetti

  • Indonesian - Kartika Nurul Widyastuti, Christy Indarto, Rahmat Marley, Layla Teo, Christin Anggrahini, Sue Cooper, Jeremy Snyder, Ida Harsojo, Tiffany Alodia

  • Greek - Effie Bindevis, Ilias Pavlidis, Denise Anagnostou, Laertes Koulizis

  • Dutch - Carla Remmen, Wendel Kouwenhoven

  • Portuguese - Helena Ramires

Speech Optimisers

  • Esther Cardwell, Eppy Davis, Seb Ellice, Zoë Vaunois, Lauren Joe

Interns

  • Isaac Pattison, Zane Kelbrick, Alex Im, Anqi Zhou

Our 'actors' from around the globe

Most of the time we walked in off the street and asked if we could please film at their cafe, restaurant, bar, museum etc... These incredible people luckily said 'yes!' which has produced the interactive language learning tool you get to enjoy today. Click on their photo to read a short blurb with a link to their website (if appropriate). None of them are actually paid actors (well coincidentally one or two are) but we think they all did a superb job of being themselves! 😉

United Kingdom

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Arundel Museum

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Izzy

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Laura

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Lido Cafe

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Lisa

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Mark

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Rosendale Primary School

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Tom

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Tulse Hill Hotel

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Tulse Hill Hotel

France

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Agnes

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Daniele

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Dheepthi and Maria

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Jeanne and Eugénie

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Eugénie

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Ilyas

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Kevin

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Mustapha

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Paul

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Penny

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Sacha, Yoann and Tiphaine

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Solayman

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Sophie

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Yazid and Yasmine

Spain

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Maria and Carlos

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Chani

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Dayana and Alejandra

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John

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Lucia

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Lucia and Marco

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Marta, Cristina and Pablo

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Mery

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Roberta and Lucia

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Roberta, Morris and Mariano

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Tacha and Ana

Netherlands

Abbys

Alejandro

Alessandro

Amanda

Andromeda

Arnold

Gaston and Marijne

Jan

Jasmijn

Linda

Lisa

Nicole

Germany

Adam and Wendy

Ahmet, Arif and Kadir

Angus and Nita

Christine

Logan

Marianne and Ludwig

Mariano

Max

Melanie

Raymondo

Sabrina

Stefanie

Stella

Italy

Alessandro

Andrea and Laura

Barbara

Daniele

Davide

Davide

Giovanna, Camilla (below), Andrea (top) and Tiziano

Marco

Romina

Silvana, Giulio and Elena

Tommaso

Valerio

Greece

Anastasia

Cosmina

Dimitris and Ioanna

Ellie

Eric

Eric

George

Kostis

Maria

Rozalto

Vassia

Yiorgos

China

Adolph

Alex

Hersey

Jon

Li Qiang

Liujie

Patrick

Yang Xin Hao

Yue Chao

Japan

Angel and Misako

Angel

Asami

Daisuke

Jono

Misako, Angel and Brian

Misako, Brian and Angel

Misako

Yoshiko

Youko

Yusuke

Indonesia

Dek Sri

Demas

Elisabeth

Griska

Jacky

Kadekyuli

Kokand

Made

Paramartha