Abstract
This article presents an ethnographic study that examines two similar teaching situations in the English language classroom. The first takes place in a virtual reality (VR) environment with native English speakers and the second, among peers in a non-immersive (non-VR) environment. The sessions were carried out over 3 months in a 6th grade class (N=24; 11- to 12-year-olds). The integration of VR in the classroom aimed to enrich and reinforce non-VR activities and thus provide more opportunities for oral production and comprehension in the target language. The interactions of 6 students in the two environments were analyzed
using a Multimodal Conversation Analysis (MCA) approach. Although VR can reduce the precision of learners’language production, the results indicate that it facilitates more spontaneous use of the foreign language, in addition to promoting new opportunities for its production and understanding. The study demonstrates how VR and non-VR activities are complementary and promote student participation and commitment to language learning.
using a Multimodal Conversation Analysis (MCA) approach. Although VR can reduce the precision of learners’language production, the results indicate that it facilitates more spontaneous use of the foreign language, in addition to promoting new opportunities for its production and understanding. The study demonstrates how VR and non-VR activities are complementary and promote student participation and commitment to language learning.
| Translated title of the contribution | Virtual reality (VR) in the English language classroom: an ethnographic study |
|---|---|
| Original language | Spanish |
| Pages (from-to) | 201-213 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Didáctica. Lengua y Literatura. |
| Volume | 36 |
| Publication status | Published - 17 May 2024 |
