Innovation in Language Learning
Virtual Reality in Teaching German as a Foreign Language to Learners with Autism: Instructional Proposals
Anna Karagiannidou, Hellenic Open University (Greece)
Abstract
Inclusive foreign language education requires differentiated approaches that address learners’ individual needs and communication profiles. This paper explores the potential of virtual reality and avatar-based activities to support social communication and vocabulary development in learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) studying German as a foreign language. Drawing on relevant literature and the profile of a fifteen-year-old learner with ASD, it presents two instructional proposals. The first draws on the three-dimensional social understanding system (3D-SU) (Cheng et al., 2015) to simulate a visit to a medical practice, using guided interaction and multiple-choice tasks to explore social situations and contextually appropriate responses. The second proposes adapting LIFEisGAME activities (Fernandes et al., 2011) to connect facial expression recognition with German vocabulary related to emotions. Tasks include matching expressions to words, modifying avatars, reproducing expressions, and interpreting emotions within short German-language narratives. Both proposals emphasise visual support, structured practice, individualised task design, and teacher guidance. Suggested assessment procedures address learners’ responses, vocabulary selection, and representations of facial expressions. The contribution is pedagogical and does not report empirical evaluation of the proposed activities. It outlines possibilities for integrating social and linguistic learning while identifying appropriate interaction modes and the extent of teacher support as priorities for further investigation.
Keywords: virtual reality, German as a foreign language, autism spectrum disorder, inclusive education.
REFERENCES
[1] Cheng, Y., Huang, C.-L., & Yang, C.-S. (2015). Using a 3D immersive virtual environment system to enhance social understanding and social skills for children with autism spectrum disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 30(4), 222–236. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088357615583473
[2] Fernandes, T., Alves, S., Miranda, J., Queirós, C., & Orvalho, V. (2011). LIFEisGAME: A facial character animation system to help recognize facial expressions. In M. M. Cruz-Cunha, J. Varajão, P. Powell, & R. Martinho (Eds.), ENTERprise information systems (pp. 423–432). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-24352-3_44
