A Review of Studies on Virtual and Blended Environments in English Language Education

Abstract

Integrating technology into the classroom has become more and more popular recently, while at the same time blended learning has also engaged researchers’ attention. This paper investigates the differences among virtual environments in an EFL classroom by making reference to various studies conducted for this reason and the author’s opinion based on the conclusions. Specifically, the focus is on the diverse ways in which the language skills are acquired in the particular educational settings. There is also a reference to the combination of these two learning environments and a comparison of them altogether. The results indicate the positive and negative characteristics of virtual, traditional and blended EFL learning environments. The data demonstrate that virtual environments are stress-free, so they can improve students’ skills as long as they are familiar with technology and they do not face poor internet connectivity as well as the fact that blended learning leads to better acquisition since students have the chance to practice more broadly on what they have learnt. Some of the characteristics that contribute to these results are the flexible and convenient environment they offer, the chance to experience long-term learning, as well as the huge source of information that students have the chance to encounter.