Poster Presentation Student Engagement in Interactive Language Activities through VR more

Recent studies on language learning using virtual reality (VR) have suggested that immersive VR environments using head mounted displays (HMDs) provide realistic simulations for authentic language interactions (Dooly et al., 2023; Lui et al., 2023). However, few studies have examined whether VR leads to better interactive language learning than in-person learning. This study aims to explore how Japanese university students assess their interactive language tasks in an HMD avatar-enhanced immersive VR environment, as opposed to those in a conventional in-person classroom. Students in four undergraduate English courses were encouraged to actively engage in verbal communication tasks grounded in a notional-functional approach to improve their communication skills, while working on pronunciation, speaking fluency and vocabulary in a real-time interactive setting. The findings from the questionnaire, which was based on the intrinsic motivation inventory and aligned with the principles of self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), suggest that employing HMD VR as an instructional intervention in the classroom is effective in improving students’ motivation and engagement and easing feelings of discomfort when speaking. The poster presentation also discusses the potential of this method for effective differentiated instruction and addresses some major challenges students faced in the VR mode in this study.