Immersive Virtual Reality for Pragmatics Task Development

Abstract

AbstractThis study intends to contribute to the methodological debate into L2 pragmatics research by examining the usability of immersive virtual reality (VR) for developing a pragmatics task. The study compared participants’ speech act performance between two closed role‐play tasks using different mediums: computer‐based and VR‐based. Sixty‐two native and nonnative speakers of English completed both tasks eliciting speech acts (requests, refusals, and opinions). The impact of task medium was assessed on oral fluency and use of speech act strategies. Both groups spoke more slowly and used more modification devices in the VR‐based speech acts; However, the directness level of the main speech act strategies was similar between the two task mediums. In the speech act situations involving a large social distance, unequal power relationship and a high degree of imposition, speech rates were slower and the use of modifications was greater than those involving a small social distance, equal power relationship and a low degree of imposition. While the native speaker group used fewer direct strategies in the former situation type regardless the task medium, the nonnative speaker group was less direct in the former situation type in the VR condition only.