Fostering Oral Communication Skills in Young English Learners Through Virtual Reality: An Innovative Approach to Language Learning

Abstract

This study examined the use of Virtual Reality (VR) as an innovative instructional approach for fostering oral communication skills among third-year Baccalaureate students learning English as a foreign language. A quantitative, quasi-experimental design was employed using a pre-test and post-test to evaluate changes in students’ speaking performance before and after the implementation of VR-supported communicative activities. The assessment focused on five dimensions of oral communication: fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary use, grammatical accuracy, and communicative effectiveness. The intervention incorporated immersive scenarios that simulated real-life situations, including interactions in restaurants, hotels, stores, and other everyday contexts. Descriptive statistics were calculated using IBM SPSS Statistics. The results showed improvement across all assessed dimensions, with the overall mean increasing from 1.64 in the pre-test to 3.53 in the post-test, representing a difference of 1.89 points. The greatest gains were observed in communicative effectiveness and contextualized vocabulary use. These findings suggest that VR can provide meaningful opportunities for learners to practice English in immersive and interactive environments that connect classroom instruction with real-life communication. The study concludes that Virtual Reality can serve as a valuable complementary resource for oral language development when combined with clear communicative objectives, structured tasks, teacher guidance, and appropriate feedback. Further research with larger samples, control groups, and longer interventions is recommended to strengthen the evidence regarding its effectiveness in EFL contexts.