Exploring the Affordances of Immersive Virtual Reality for Chinese L2 Pragmatics Learning

Abstract

In second language (L2) education, teaching pragmatics is crucial for developing communicative competence (Taguchi & Roever, 2017). Acquiring L2 pragmatic competence —the ability to convey and interpret meaning in social interactions (Taguchi, 2011)—is an adaptive process shaped by both a language user’s linguistic resources and their social judgment of context-specific communication conventions (Laughlin et al., 2015). Various methodologies have been proposed for teaching L2 pragmatics (Russell & Vásquez, 2011; Takamiya & Ishihara, 2013). However, when implemented in the classroom, these approaches often fall short of providing learners with authentic contexts for active language use (Limberg, 2015). To overcome this challenge, scholars have created and tested immersive environments using virtual reality (VR) technologies, which can visually recreate real-life cultural contexts for more effective and immersive communicative practice (e.g., Holden & Sykes, 2011; Sydorenko et al., 2018). However, despite their numerous benefits, these platforms are predominantly delivered to learners via two-dimensional computer interfaces, restricting them to a third-person observational perspective rather than enabling full immersion (Kaplan-Rakowski & Gruber, 2019). The potential of three-dimensional, high-immersive VR (HiVR), which operates through head-mounted headsets, for enhancing L2 pragmatic instruction—particularly in the context of Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) education—remains largely unexplored. To address this gap in previous research, this study investigates the learning affordances of HiVR for the acquisition of Chinese pragmatics, with a particular focus on request-making skills in Chinese. An HiVR environment was developed using 360-degree videos with audio input recorded in various locations in China (e.g., a college, a pharmacy, a store, a library) to simulate physical presence and provide realistic contexts in which learners can practice making requests while interacting with native Chinese speakers. To evaluate participants’ sensory and linguistic engagement with the HiVR platform, data were collected from 12 CFL intermediate and advanced learners at a U.S. university through semi-structured interviews, entrance and exit surveys, and video recordings of learners' navigation and performance in the VR environment. The data analysis process included content analysis of interviews and surveys, complemented by multimodal analysis of learners' physical movements and interactions in the VR platform as they engaged with a series of task-based request-making prompts. Findings show that rich contextual cues, perlocutionary effects, and emotional engagement significantly enhanced the participants’ learning experiences. This study contributes to the limited body of research on technology-enhanced pragmatic instruction in less commonly taught languages. It seeks to promote equity and inclusion by expanding access to authentic learning opportunities that enable students from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds to immersive themselves in Chinese communicative culture without the need to travel to China.