Foreign Language Learning Gamification Using Virtual Reality—A Systematic Review of Empirical Research

Rafael Darque Pinto,Luciana Cabral,Miguel Melo,Maximino Bessa,Bruno Peixoto

doi:10.3390/educsci11050222

Abstract

Virtual reality has shown to have great potential as an educational tool when it comes to new learning methods. With the growth and dissemination of this technology, there is a massive opportunity for teachers to add this technology to their methods of teaching a second/foreign language, since students keep showing a growing interest in new technologies. This systematic review of empirical research aims at understanding whether the use of gaming strategies in virtual reality is beneficial for the learning of a second/foreign language or not. Results show that more than half of the articles proved that virtual reality technologies with gaming strategies can be used to learn a foreign language. It was also found that “learning” was the most evaluated dependent variable among the chosen records, augmented reality was the leading technology used, primary education and lower secondary was the most researched school stages, and the most used language to evaluate the use of gamified technology was by far the English language. Given the lack of directed investigation, it is recommended to use these technologies to support second language learning and not entirely replace traditional approaches. A research agenda is also proposed by the authors.

Highlights

The PRISMA methodology establishes a series of procedures and guideline meant to help the research be clearer in presenting what was planned, what was done and what was found in the systematic review
The manuscript has in the abstract, title or keywords the following keywords: “Virtual Reality” or “Augmented Reality” or “VR” or “AR”, and “Second Language”
The present study aims at fulfilling a research gap by carrying out a systematic analysis of gamification in foreign language learning by using immersive technology

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. A tree is a great analogy for the area of education, being one of its important branches the learning of a foreign/second language. One’s interest to learn a second language started around the time of the Roman Empire, when Romans showed interest in studying the Greek language. Their way of studying a different language consisted of having Greek servants or having Greek tutors who taught them the language. People became interested in learning another language besides the native one, e.g., people from

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