ELL
English Language Learning in the VR
Practice speaking English in a judgment-free environment
Of the 4 skills, Reading, Writing and Listening can be studied alone. Speaking cannot… until now. Language learning in VR allows for a multitude of scenarios, bringing learners into situations which instructors struggle to provide. Using voice recognition to work on speech production ensures that learners are active participants in the process. With a judgement-free, distraction-free environment, confidence is allowed to flourish. And a confident, motivated learner is a successful language student.
The VR is not meant to replace a teacher, and can never do that. This VR ELL series was not created as a foundational English course, yet was made to enhance and support learning, and encourage further study by building confidence and preparedness for the situations and scenes that students may one day find themselves in. Building confidence by giving exposure to a variety of contexts, this series is a terrific addition to any language learning environment.
Most of this was with the Veative solution in mind, but the underlying point is that there is real benefit to using VR, and that finding and buying a device is not the key element to any purchase. The content must be the primary driver of any decision, and there must be a good, compelling reason to add this to your curriculum, or to a language resource centre
Features
Some basic features of the ELL series include:
- An environment free from judgement (a truly personal experience)
- Immediate access to a variety of scenes and settings
- Voice recognition allows for vocalization and speech practice
- Learner agency and a sense of presence
- Instant feedback on pronunciation and speech
- Virtual scenarios which allow for confidence building (practice till you’ve got it!)
- 4 levels, from Foundational to Advanced
- Reading, writing and listening can be studied in isolation, but speaking practice cannot, until now
Breakdown
The English language learning series is based around 8 main categories, each broken down to 13 subtopics. These main categories are:
- Daily Life
- Work & Study
- Traffic and Accommodations
- Recreation and Tourism
- Food and Drink
- Going Shopping
- Social Activities
- Healthy Life
Key Elements
Some basic features of the ELL series include:
- 104 conversations (approximately 10,000 words)
- 110 short sentences
- 1,000 words as keywords and phrases
- 48 pronunciation items
- 400 vocabulary terms
- Quiz feature (assessment)
- Large variety of voices, characters, and ages
Levels
The first subtopic in each category is at a fundamental level, meaning that the dialogue is shorter, the words less taxing and the cognitive loading is lessened. Other lessons are at various levels, and interspersed throughout each category. These levels, and lessons, are:
- Fundamental (8 lessons)
- Basic (24 lessons)
- Intermediate (48 lessons)
- Advanced (24 lessons)
