Comparing Two Worlds: Spanish Learners’ Face-to-face and Immersive Social VR Speaking Experiences

Abstract

This exploratory study examines student perception data from a survey regarding fully immersive social virtual reality (VR) speaking practice vs. comparable face-to-face (F2F) speaking experiences. The participants were 21 undergraduate Spanish majors and minors (English native speakers) from one advanced-level Spanish course at a large institution in the United States. Using a counterbalanced design, students carried out three sets of two dialogues each (one dialogue in VR using a head-mounted display, and one F2F), and each set was completed with different partners and content. These dialogues were completed in the departmental language lab as homework assignments for the course, and for the VR dialogues, the AltspaceVR app was used with Oculus Rifts. Quantitative data from the survey showed overall positive experiences with social VR, and comparisons between F2F and VR conversations also yielded statistically significant findings indicating that VR can be a more fun way to practice speaking that can also reduce feelings of self-consciousness. A thematic analysis of the survey’s open-ended responses supported quantitative findings by highlighting lower stress when speaking in VR, increased enjoyment of being in virtual environments, and heightened engagement when speaking in VR. Themes also highlighted areas of improvement centering around curricular integration.