Enhancing Academic Speaking Skills: An Immersive Virtual World Approach

Enhancing Academic Speaking Skills: An Immersive Virtual World Approach

Enhancing Academic Speaking Skills: An Immersive Virtual World Approach

Elaine Hoter, Hannah Azulay, Manal Yazbak

Abstract

"In today's interconnected world, spoken English is a required skill on the academic level. Students are required to reach the B2 level of English according to the Common European Framework (CEFR) as a prerequisite for graduating and entrance to vocations. Students need to dedicate hours of practice in order to reach this level. To address this challenge, this study examines an attempt to teach advanced language skills using an innovative virtual world platform to create an immersive, authentic and engaging setting. The purpose of this pilot study is to find out whether immersive and experiential learning, along with teacher presence, can enhance students' confidence and motivation to engage in English and ultimately improve their level of aural and oral skills. This study employs a mixed-methods design based on an end-of-course questionnaire encompassing both open and closed questions (N=41), comprehensive course data for all participants, pre and post-oral and aural assessment scores from an external assessment company (N=28), participant observation throughout the course (N=120) and seven in-depth interviews. Participants reported that their speaking skills (fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar), as well as their listening skills, had improved significantly, and this was corroborated by the quantitative data. The findings reveal that participants demonstrated heightened motivation and confidence to speak English through an avatar in a gamified environment. This study suggests that language immersion facilitated by teacher presence and virtual world technology has tremendous potential for students, in particular for those who lack confidence in speaking. This innovative approach can serve as a transformative method to enhance academic speaking skills, providing a more enjoyable and effective learning experience. Its implications for language learning are discussed."

Reference

Hoter, E., Azulay, H., & Yazbak, M. (2023). Enhancing academic speaking skills: An immersive virtual world approach. Qeios. https://www.qeios.com/read/H5NKUG

Keywords

Language skills, Immersive learning, Teacher presence