부산대학교 도서관

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of virtual reality (VR)-based English learning on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ speaking abilities. The participants were 30 EFL learners from a college in South Korea. They were randomly assigned to either the human-to-human interaction in VR world group (n = 12), human-to-AI chatbot interaction in VR world group (n = 10), or control group (n = 8). This study found that experimental group B, which engaged in English-speaking learning activities with an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot in the VR world, showed the highest improvement in English speaking after the experiment, indicating that a VR program that incorporates AI technology is effective in improving students’ English-speaking ability. This is because the process of hiding oneself and interacting with another person in the VR world eased learners’ anxiety and increased their interest and self-confidence in speaking, which led to more active participation in class. The results of this study are also consistent with those of previous studies showing that conversing with another person behind a virtual avatar allows learners to participate and speak more actively. Based on the findings of this research, pedagogical suggestions are provided to help language learners improve their speaking ability in EFL contexts.