Research has noted that virtual reality (VR) environments can lessen language learners' foreign language anxiety (FLA). However, previous research has relied primarily on participants' qualitative opinions, leading to a lack of studies empirically assessing how VR impacts anxiety and, consequently, second language (L2) oral production. This pilot…

The conceptualization of multiliteracies initiated by the New London Group (NLG, 1996) emphasized the situated nature of language use as a socially complex network of multimodal engagement. Inspired by this view of language and literacy, computer-assisted language learning and second language acquisition scholars have advocated for a broader scope…

In line with the 2021 CALICO Conference theme "Global realities," we presented a plenary on how immersive virtual reality (IVR) could be used for second language learning by allowing learners to virtually travel around the globe via headset. The main affordances of virtual reality (VR) technology include immersing learners in an…

Adult learners benefit from a playful approach to learning (Whitton, 2018). Similarly, students experiencing immersive learning using virtual reality headsets can benefit from a playful and exploratory approach to language and culture learning (Arnold, 1979), which includes the opportunity to experiment and create content using accessible,…

This article discusses the development of an immersive virtual reality (VR)-infused Makerspace for experiential learning. Students in an advanced-level Russian course used a Makerspace to complete a three-part project aimed at language and cultural learning through art and presentational speaking. Participants completed a survey about their…

This exploratory study investigated the usability of immersive virtual reality (VR) as a way of creating a role-play task to examine pragmatic competence, specifically the ability to produce the speech act of request. The study created a closed role-play task in two versions. One was a standard computer-based version in which participants read a…

Given the importance of the blogosphere for autonomous language learning, many studies on computer-assisted language learning (CALL) have vigorously investigated the use of blogs in language learning. Noticeably lacking in these endeavors are investigations of language learners' social engagement with others in online spaces to define and…

Initiated in response to informal reports of vocabulary gains from gamers at universities in New Zealand and the Netherlands, this qualitative study explored how English language learners autonomously learn vocabulary while playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Using research processes inherent in Grounded Theory, data…

This article investigates research on the use of network-based three-dimensional virtual worlds in computer-assisted language learning (CALL). The significant features of the major types of virtual world currently utilized are examined, as are the hypothesized advantages and issues associated with their use. This is followed by a critical review…

This article reviews current research on the use of Web 2.0 technologies in second language (L2) learning. Its purpose is to investigate the theoretical perspectives framing it, to identify some of the benefits of using Web 2.0 technologies in L2 learning, and to discuss some of the limitations. The review reveals that blogs and wikis have been…

This study explored affective factors in learning English as a foreign language in a 3D game-like virtual world, Quest Atlantis (QA). Through the use of communication tools (e.g., chat, bulletin board, telegrams, and email), 3D avatars, and 2D webpage navigation tools in virtual space, nonnative English speakers (NNES) co-solved online…

We built a natural language processing (NLP) system implementing a "virtual writing conference" for elementary-school children, with German as the target language. Currently, state-of-the-art computer support for writing tasks is restricted to multiple-choice questions or quizzes because automatic parsing of the often ambiguous and fragmentary…

Utah State University's intensive Spanish program uses video simulations of real-life experiences as the basis for classroom instruction in lieu of following a textbook, allowing the class to become student-centered, rather than instructor-centered, through a problem-solving group endeavor. (Author/CB)

This paper integrates the theory and practice of computer pedagogies in a variety of language courses, all stemming from participation in a graduate level course on computers in language teaching. First, the graduate level preservice CALL course is described, focusing on how connections between theory and practice were developed. Descriptions of…