The effects of immersion in virtual reality environment on oral English learning for Chinese university students

Abstract

Most Chinese adults encounter difficulty in second language acquisition due to the lack of a second language environment to practice. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of immersive virtual reality learning environments on oral English learning for Chinese university students. A total of 43 freshmen participated in this study. Participants’ oral English performance, engagement, emotional and motivational status were compared between the fully immersive VR learning condition (using a head-mounted device) and the non-immersive condition (using a personal computer). Results indicated that participants in the fully immersive VR condition showed higher speaking accuracy, lower anxiety, and higher speaking-efficacy in the posttest than participants in the non-immersive VR condition. Participants in the fully immersive VR condition also showed more engagement than those in the non-immersive VR condition in all four experiment days. Theoretical and practical implications for applying VR technology in second language learning are discussed.

Cite as: Li, J., Qiu, T., Li, C., Xu, C., Cheng, P.,Tang, Y., Georgiou, G. K. (2024). The effects ofimmersion in virtual reality environmenton oral English learning for Chineseuniversity students. Education andLifelong Development Research, 1(1), 3-14. https://doi.org/10.46690/elder.2024.01.02

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