Integration of Virtual Reality (VR) Technology into Vocabulary Teaching in Primary School English Lessons

Abstract

Language consists of words, so it is important to increase the level of vocabulary in any foreign language learning to a certain extent in order to be able to communicate in that language. As for VR, it is seen that this technology is a new research field in education, the use of which in language teaching is closely related to the principle of proximity to life, one of teaching principles. While learning a foreign language, learners should experience situational learning experiences, recognize real-life contexts, and be able to use the language communicatively in these environments, which is a difficult goal to be attained by 2nd-grade primary school students who have not yet reached full proficiency in their native language but started learning a foreign one. In this direction, this study, a pre-test – post-test research with the control group, examined VR’s effect on vocabulary levels and student engagement. The study was conducted in the English lessons of 2nd-grade students from six of the state primary schools in the central district of Çanakkale, Turkey. The results indicated that instruction with VR did not show any significant difference in vocabulary levels compared to current teaching method but encouraged more student engagement in the classroom. Although more extensive research into the topic is essential, it is hoped that the study will shed light on future research on the use of VR technology, which still has leeway to progress and may form the basis of future education in the coming years.

“Whoa! Incredible!:” Language Learning Experiences in Virtual Reality

“…It has been argued that this approach can lead to a greater variety in the design of learning activities and provide more opportunities for learners to use the language more spontaneously in order to express themselves (Hinkel, 2010;Klimova, 2014;Oxford, 2001). These are similar arguments and they dovetail into studies regarding the communicative potential of VR for language learning (Parmaxi, 2020;Tai et al, 2022;Uygun and Girgin, 2022).…”

“…These researchers attributed this to the fact that VR offers highly contextualized learning and enhanced learner engagement. However, in a study with 54 Turkish EFL 2nd-grade students, Uygun and Girgin (2022) did not find any significant difference in vocabulary learning in VR compared to classroom learning, but they did find that VR encouraged student engagement which is critical for learning. Finally, Nobrega and Rozenfeld (2019) conducted an exploratory study to understand how Google Cardboard and 360°videos could be used with 23 (n = 23) Brazilian K-12 students learning French.…”

“…For one, the majority of VR research studies conducted have been one-off VR experiences, where participants only use VR once; moreover, these studies have not been carried out with VR apps specifically designed for language teaching and learning (Dhimolea et al, 2022). There have also been fewer studies conducted with kindergarten to grade 12 (K-12) learners, with notable exceptions such as Acar and Cavas (2020), Alemi and Khatoony (2020), Nobrega and Rozenfeld (2019), Tai et al (2022), Uygun and Girgin (2022) and Yan Chen et al (2020).…”

“…Publications on technology-enhanced language teaching have increased exponentially in parallel with the growing number of technological resources that can orient learners towards a socio-interactional approach to language learning, both inside and outside the classroom. More recently, the use of virtual reality (VR) has been explored in language teaching and learning (Dhimolea et al, 2022; Huang et al, 2021; Parmaxi, 2020; Qiu et al, 2021). A common premise of these studies is that VR environments present immensely contextualized learning opportunities and possibilities for interaction (Tai et al, 2022).…”