Abstract:

Reading fluency (RF) is key to reading competency, freeing resources for comprehension. Yet, RF training is widely neglected in second language (L2) classrooms.

The Multilingual Readers Theater (MELT) embeds proven RF training methods into an overarching scenario, aiming at fostering RF in the school language and L2 simultaneously. MELT is effective but resource-intensive, limiting individual assistance and monitoring.

Virtual Reality (VR) enables immersive, flexible MELT for individual and collaborative RF practice. Yet, research on VR-based RF training in L2’s remains limited.

This article focuses on the methodological design and implementation of a Design-Based Research (DBR) project developing and refining a VR-supported MELT for learners at the transition to secondary school.

The guiding question is:
How should a VR-supported blended learning scenario for the Multilingual Reading Theater (MELT) be designed for the transition to secondary school so that it is perceived by teachers, experts, and learners as supportive in promoting reading fluency in English as a second language?

Building on a pilot showing high acceptance of VR-based MELT, the study integrates prior findings on VR-based RF training and L2 learning, such as motivation, vocabulary, communicative competences, and increased speech production.

Based on Design-Based Research (DBR), the study connects theory with classroom practice through iterative design testing. Cognitive Load Theory and Situated Learning guide interface and instruction design for a meaningful, authentic reading setting. Collaborative learning principles guide individual, group, and tandem RF training activities, and feedback mechanisms in the VR environment. Early development uses low-immersion desktop VR for initial UX design, with higher immersion planned later.

In four iterative cycles, the design is implemented and evaluated in authentic school settings with fourth- and fifth-grade students, each targeting different methodological layers:
1) Prototype development and feasibility testing to establish technical viability and UX requirements;
2) Design and refinement of MELT introduction, individual and group reading, investigating instructional flow, usability, and motivation;
3) Development and testing of audio-supported-individual and tandem RF training, including UX, usability, assessment of RF in school language and L2, to determine the effectiveness of VR training on improving RF;
4) Evaluation of Student and Teacher Acceptance, with an adapted Technology Acceptance Model 2, to predict classroom use.

A mixed-methods approach is embedded within each DBR cycle. Qualitative data (student interviews, classroom observations, screen- and audio recordings) support design refinements and principle generation. Quantitative data (RF measures and exploratory questionnaires on usability, UX, motivation, didactical design, and learner acceptance) complement qualitative insights and evaluate learning and usability outcomes across iterations.

The primary contribution of this article is a detailed account of the DBR methodology applied to the development of a VR-enhanced RF training scenario for young L2 learners. Documenting design logic, methodological decisions, and data integration, the article offers a transferable DBR framework for technology-enhanced L2 education. It aims to support the creation of classroom-validated VR learning environments grounded in both theory and authentic teaching practice.

Keywords:

Readers Theater, MELT, Virtual Reality, EFL, reading fluency.