Abstract:

The unique immersive and interactive qualities of Virtual Reality (VR) have been utilized in a range of high-immersion VR applications for language learning, e.g. in the commercial products "ImmerseMe" and "Mondly", and reviewed in terms of their potential for teaching and learning. These qualities remained underexplored for learning Italian in Switzerland as part of the foreign-language curriculum in the German-speaking cantons. Current materials for L2 learners lack opportunities for training oral fluency and interaction in a wider variety of social situations with life-like dialogues. This is why we (the authors) developed "Viagg-io", an immersive journey into Italian-speaking Switzerland that combines interactive dialogue with cultural exploration of actual places and typical social situations (e.g. preparing a regional meal). Learners advance their journey in "Viagg-io" by speaking Italian, and due to the multilinear storytelling concept, learners access the eight rooms in a different order, and with different outcomes, depending on their spoken decisions.

The project "Viagg-io - immersive journey into Italian-speaking Switzerland" serves as a case study for how to develop a concept for language learning and cultural immersion for Virtual Reality (VR), focusing on authentic, everyday interaction in semantically-rich dialogues. To begin with, we highlight in our paper the design and conception process that followed a design-based research framework, i.e. based on a collaboration between researchers and school-based practitioners: "Viagg-io" was created together with Italian L2 teachers as additional teaching resource (OER) for foreign-language lessons at secondary schools (CEFR A2). Additionally, we show the didactic design, technical implementation of the interactive system which combines Artificial Intelligence(AI)-based intent recognition to interpret learner input with a generative AI chatbots that enables free-form dialogue. Furthermore, we report on a classroom evaluation of “Viagg-io” examining the effectiveness of the interactive dialogues and their impact on the students’ motivation. For this, we analyzed the transcripts of the speech produced by the anoynimized learners who used "Viagg-io" since its implementation in schools starting in autumn 2025, and we will include the analysis of the new data until the date of the conference. We specifically focus on the aspects: Usability/immersion, learner motivation/reduction of inhibitions to speak, as well as skill progression over time/duration of the use of "Viagg-io".

Keywords:

Language learning innovations, virtual reality, design-based research, interaction design, game-based learning.