Abstract:

The growing importance of Virtual Reality (VR) has captured the attention of scholars and educators, prompting them to explore its potential as a learning tool in various educational domains, leading to a true revolution in the field of education. Consequently, numerous literature reviews have examined and consolidated the educational applications of VR. However, there is a lack of recent academic reviews specifically focused on the use of VR in language learning, a distinct field of interest. The purpose of this article is to investigate the relationship between VR and foreign language learning, specifically English. We compared two teaching methodologies: the traditional one and the VR-based one, on a sample of 60 native Italian students in the last year of primary school in Caserta (Italy). In particular, the sample was equally divided into two groups of 30 students each, named Group 1 and Group 2, respectively: Group 1 received English language learning training using traditional methods, while Group 2 received English language learning training through the use of VR, specifically through the Oculus Meta Quest 2. To assess the academic English language skills, a list of 300 words was evaluated (referring to the target words from the Cambridge English Guide for primary school children). The words were equally divided into 4 main categories: home, school, nature, and leisure and hobbies. The interventions lasted for 5 months, from January to May, for 2 hours once a week. Data was collected and analysed at the FINDS Neuropsychiatry Clinic by qualified psychologists in collaboration with the International University of Rome (UNINT). Learners from both groups were evaluated at two times: first (T0), after four months from the beginning of the school year, and the second time (T1), at the end of the school year. From the results, although an improvement in terms of learned English words was observed in both groups, a significant interaction between time and group emerged. In particular, there was an improvement in the number of English words learned between the pre- and post-teaching intervention, which was more significant in Group 2 (who underwent educational training through VR) compared to Group 1. In conclusion, differences between the two groups were also found in terms of motivation: the possibility of interacting with virtual objects and simulations within real environments creates a more engaging learning experience, promoting the attention and retention of newly acquired vocabulary by the students.

Keywords:

Virtual reality, Learning, foreign languages.