• S. Alfred Pravin

  Author

• Dr. Cecilia Merlin Wilton

  Author

The use of virtual reality (VR) in second language (L2) education has been increasingly transforming L2 instruction in recent years by creating an authentic second language learning environment in a virtual world in which learners are immersed. The design, pedagogical rationale, and classroom-based assessment of a VR-based immersive environment for second language acquisition, focusing on speaking fluency, vocabulary retention, and learners' willingness to communicate, is discussed in this paper. The method employed was a mixed-method quasi-experimental design that involved developing a prototype scene and a six-week classroom pilot with forty-two intermediate-level second language learners. The method used was a quasi-experimental study with a mixed method of prototype scene development and a 6-week classroom pilot in which 42 intermediate-level second language learners were placed into a VR environment while a comparison group was placed in a conventional classroom setting. Pre- and post-test, a structured questionnaire and session interaction logs, as well as short interviews, were used to collect data, which were then analyzed descriptively and thematically with regard to the qualitative data. Results reveal that the learners in the immersive VR environment showed higher gains in oral fluency, vocabulary acquisition, and lower speaking anxiety and willingness to communicate in the target language than the control group. Conversational tasks, structured around scenarios, complete with adaptive dialogue prompts and contextual visual cues, seemed to be the focus of sustaining learner engagement during the pilot period. The study also shows that presence, embodied interaction, and scenario realism are important design aspects in the pedagogical effectiveness of immersive language environments. The issues of cybersickness, hardware availability, and sustainability of immersive content creation are also considered. Based on the results of the study, the paper concludes that well-structured VR-based immersive environments have significant potential in scaling up the teaching and learning of L2S, and that the role of the teacher is still indispensable in the future application of immersive L2 learning technologies in different educational contexts and different learners.

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