In this globalized world, technology has created opportunities for cultural learning within virtual reality (VR) environments, facilitating second language acquisition (SLA). Recent studies have reported that VR-assisted language learning reduces learners’ anxiety and influences learners’ positive affective factors in and beyond the classroom. However, little attention is given to VR’s potential in promoting cultural learning in language classrooms. In this article, I present VR’s potential for cultural learning and its practical application for language learning in higher education through a series of practical task-based and semi-structured activities using language-focused VR applications such as Immerse and Mondly. As a starting point for cultural learning in the classroom, these activities are designed to simultaneously develop learners’ intercultural, pragmatic, and symbolic competence by simulating authentic interaction in the target environment. These activities not only prepare learners for real-life interactions but also serve as a valuable precursor to study abroad programs by integrating cultural immersion into classroom learning. While I acknowledge the technical challenges of using VR in the classroom, I provide educators with a step-by-step process to transform the classroom into an immersive language learning site.
Esther Omonigho Airemionkhale (Wed,) studied this question.