Research indicates that high‐immersion virtual reality (VR) has several unique affordances for language learning that contribute to learning outcomes, such as boosting learners’ confidence, engagement, and motivation. However, little is known about the extent to which VR promotes language skills, in particular learners’ verbal interaction using a second language (L2). The present study uses an intervention design to examine the impact of high‐immersion VR on L2 Spanish learners’ interactional development and perceptions of VR experience. Twenty‐six beginning‐level Spanish learners engaged in four social VR sessions over a 2‐week period. Learners’ perceptions of social VR were assessed through surveys and focus group interviews, and their changes in interaction‐involved language performance were evaluated. The results reinforce previous research in showing that learners felt a heightened sense of presence in VR and that interacting in Spanish in the immersive virtual space was more enjoyable and less nerve‐wracking than face‐to‐face conversation, albeit equally beneficial to learning. Quantitative analyses of learners’ interaction revealed significant improvement in terms of their engagement, clarity, and content appropriateness. However, participants reported that technical issues could at times limit the pedagogical usefulness of VR. These findings reinforce the use of social VR in L2 instruction and provide novel insights about performance gains and Spanish L2 pedagogy in a virtual space.

中文翻译：

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用于 L2 西班牙语开发的社交虚拟现实：学习如何在高度沉浸的虚拟空间中与他人互动


研究表明，高浸入式虚拟现实 （VR） 具有多种独特的语言学习功能，有助于提高学习成果，例如提高学习者的自信心、参与度和积极性。然而，人们对 VR 在多大程度上促进语言技能知之甚少，特别是学习者使用第二语言 （L2） 进行语言互动。本研究使用干预设计来检查高沉浸式 VR 对 L2 西班牙语学习者的互动发展和对 VR 体验感知的影响。26 名初级西班牙语学习者在 2 周内参加了四次社交 VR 课程。通过调查和焦点小组访谈评估学习者对社交 VR 的看法，并评估他们在交互参与的语言表现方面的变化。结果强化了之前的研究，表明学习者在 VR 中感受到了更高的存在感，并且在沉浸式虚拟空间中用西班牙语互动比面对面的对话更有趣，更少伤脑筋，尽管对学习同样有益。对学习者互动的定量分析表明，他们的参与度、清晰度和内容适当性都有了显著提高。然而，参与者报告说，技术问题有时会限制 VR 的教学有用性。这些发现加强了社交 VR 在 L2 教学中的使用，并提供了关于虚拟空间中绩效提升和西班牙语 L2 教学法的新见解。