Innovation in Language Learning

Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming significantly prevalent in the field of education and has been proven, among others, to increase student motivation and commitment to the lesson [1], to simulate contextualised scenarios for learning [2] and to help students practise their public speaking skills [3]. This innovative technology has provided unprecedented opportunities for student interaction with the lesson content which is achieved through the multisensory experience it offers and the replacement of interaction with immersion [4]. In fact, some VR-related impediments, such as the high cost of the hardware (for tethered headsets), the set-up of the computer hardware and correct connection of the Head Mount Display (HMD) [5], are gradually being overcome due to the emergence of more commercially accessible VR standalone headsets (in price and ease of equipment use), like Oculus Quest 2 [6]. However, even though the number of VR applications has been exponentially increasing, most of these applications are not designed to support teaching practices [4] and they lack pedagogical foundation. The field of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is a field which can benefit from VR since the latter can provide ESP learners with virtual trips to professional contexts, it can increase their experiential element and simulate authentic conditions, and it can also help with vocabulary retention [7]. This paper aims to theoretically introduce ways that IMMERSE, an educational metaverse language learning platform, can enhance the learning experience of ESP students. Specifically, it is believed that the affordances of the platform (various real-life contexts, high levels of immersion and interactivity) as well as its fundamental elements of language immersion practice (functional language, culture, and community building) can enhance the ESP lesson and provide more contextualised opportunities for students to practise the language.

References [1] Martín-Gutiérrez, J., Mora, C. E., Añorbe-Díaz, B., & González-Marrero, A. (2017). Virtual technologies trends in education. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13(2), 469–486. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2017.00626a
[2] Christoforou, Maria; Xerou, Eftychia; Papadima-Sophocleous, Salomi. (2019). Integrating a virtual reality application to simulate situated learning experiences in a foreign language course. In Meunier, Fanny; Van de Vyver, Julie; Bradley, Linda; Thouësny, Sylvie (Eds), CALL and complexity – short papers from EUROCALL 2019 (pp. 82-87). Research-publishing.net. https://doi.org/10.14705/rpnet.2019.38.990
[3] Gruber, A., & Kaplan-Rakowski, R. (2020). User experience of public speaking practice in virtual reality. In R. Zheng (Ed.), Cognitive and affective perspectives on immersive technology in education (pp. 235-249). IGI Global. doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-3250-8
[4] Lege, R., Bonner, E., Frazier, E., & Pascucci, L. (2020). Pedagogical considerations for successful implementation of virtual reality in the language classroom. In M. Kruk & M. Peterson (Eds), New technological applications for foreign and second language learning and teaching (pp. 24-46). IGI Global. doi:  10.4018/978-1-7998-2591-3.ch002
[5] Boglou, D. (2019). A Simple Blueprint for Using Oculus Rift in the Language Learning Classroom. In 12th International Conference Innovation in Language Learning (p. 106-110).
[6] Sadler, R. & Thrasher, T. (2021, December). Teaching Languages with Virtual Reality: Things you may need to know. CALICO Infobytes. Retrieved from http://calico.org/infobytes
[7] Madini, A. A., & Alshaikhi, D. (2017). Virtual reality for teaching ESP vocabulary: A myth or a possibility. International Journal of English Language Education, 5(2), 111-126. doi: 10.5296/ijele.v5i2.11993