Original title: Post-digital methodology: a "Virtuo-real" approach to developing English language communicative competence in VR environments
The study tested a way to learn English that combines practice in virtual reality with reflection on how to use that practice in real life. Sixty intermediate university students took part over 12 weeks; one group used this approach, while the other used traditional multimedia. The VR group improved more in sociolinguistic skill—using language that fits a social situation—and strategic skill, such as handling communication problems. They also reported less anxiety about using a foreign language.
Imagine practising a conversation before visiting a busy shop. The practice may go smoothly, but the real conversation can feel different, and it is hard to know what to change afterward. In this paper, the virtual conversation is the practice, while reflecting on it in real life helps learners carry what they tried into everyday communication.
For people learning English, knowing words is not enough: they also need to choose language that fits a situation and keep a conversation going. This study suggests that VR practice paired with real-world reflection can help with those skills while reducing anxiety.
The abstract describes a quasi-experimental study of 60 intermediate EFL university students over 12 weeks. It does not report how long the gains lasted, whether they apply to other learners or settings, or which parts of the approach contributed most to the results.
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Post-digital methodology: a "Virtuo-real" approach to developing English language communicative competence in VR environments — Xoldorova Shahlo Shuhratjon qizi — Лингвоспектр — doi:10.5281/zenodo.23133874
Abstract licence: CC BY
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper.