Virtual reality in the Spanish classroom: A longitudinal control-experimental research study

Abstract

Research has found that high-immersion virtual reality (HiVR) can improve language learners’ speaking skills (Dooly et al., 2023; Thrasher, 2022a, 2022b). However, most prior studies have relied on short-term interventions (Dhimolea et al., 2022), resulting in limited evidence from control-experimental designs examining the effects of sustained HiVR integration. To address this gap, this semester-long control-experimental study measured how participation in a HiVR-integrated instructional model impacted foreign language anxiety (FLA), motivation, willingness to communicate (WTC), and oral proficiency over a 10-week period. Seventy-one students in a university-level beginner Spanish course participated in the study. The control group (n = 38) followed a fully online course with traditional homework, while the experimental group (n = 33) had two hours of their online homework replaced each week with HiVR activities. All participants completed a language background questionnaire and pre- and post- FLA, motivation, and WTC questionnaires. Recordings of participants’ final oral exams were analyzed for complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) features to evaluate improvements in speaking abilities. Results suggest that the HiVR-integrated instructional model mitigated FLA, increased WTC, and positively impacted speaking skills.