The Language Learner’s Guide to Virtual Reality
The future is now.
Virtual reality (also called “VR”) is the latest player on the language learning scene, can help you practice your language skills like never before by using computers, phones, tablets, headsets or other devices to simulate a real environment.
While there are at this point still limited options for virtual reality language learning, there are already some good choices on the market.
Contents
- Why Virtual Reality Language Learning Is Taking Off
- The Best VR Headsets
- The Best Virtual Reality Language Learning Experiences
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Why Virtual Reality Language Learning Is Taking Off
It’s interactive
First of all, virtual reality can provide interactive experiences to help you perfect your language skills. One study indicates that one reason why virtual reality language learning is so valuable is that it supports interaction.
This is why many learning programs use interactive learning to teach you languages. A program like FluentU, for example, lets you watch authentic videos like movie clips, news segments and vlogs. And many aspects of these videos are interactive, including the subtitles—hover for a definition and click for a full flashcard.
Interactive experiences are much more engaging than studying alone; plus, they give you valuable practice, which helps reinforce learning.
It’s less pressure than real life
Virtual reality can also offer an opportunity to try out your skills without the intimidation factor of interacting with native speakers in real life. Practicing your language skills is important. However, it can also be intimidating, particularly if you’re interacting with a native speaker, which can seem downright terrifying. VR language learning programs provide the opportunity to get that valuable practice without any fear. And, thankfully, the more you practice, the less daunting interacting with native speakers will seem.
It simulates real life
Virtual reality can simulate real-life scenarios you’re likely to encounter, thereby preparing you to encounter these scenarios in real life. Some study programs focus on learning vocabulary that you may never use. For instance, while naming colors is valuable, do you really discuss them more often than you order food? Probably not. VR language programs tend to focus more on real-life contexts that you’ll probably encounter if you travel abroad rather than abstract activities. This functional knowledge is useful and easy to apply to actual situations.
The Best VR Headsets
First things first: To use some virtual reality options, you’ll need (or have the option of using) a virtual reality headset. Here are three of the most popular options and what sorts of apps they’re compatible with.
Oculus
Oculus is compatible with apps sold through the Oculus store. Oculus works with Galaxy smartphones.
Daydream
Daydream is a virtual reality viewer produced by Google. It’s compatible with select Android-based phones.
Cardboard
Google’s affordable virtual reality viewer is compatible with virtual reality apps for Android from the Google Play store. You can use it with newer-model iPhones and Android devices.
The Best Virtual Reality Language Learning Experiences
Mondly
Available: Android | Oculus Rift
Seasoned language learners are no strangers to Mondly. Their online and app-based language learning options have been bringing their A game for a while. But now, Mondly is also venturing into virtual reality language learning, and it’s a real game changer.
Mondly VR focuses on putting you in realistic scenarios, like checking into a hotel, riding in a taxi, ordering at a restaurant or chatting on a train. From there, a character will speak to you, and you’ll respond verbally based on a list of possible responses. Voice-recognition software allows for immediate feedback on your pronunciation to help you perfect your skills.
Mondly VR offers around 30 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Hebrew, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and more.
While the regular Mondly app is also available on iTunes and Oculus Rift.
ImmerseMe
If nothing excites you more than an exotic locale, ImmerseMe might be just the virtual reality program you’re looking for.
Scenarios will help you practice common interactions, like greetings, ordering food and ordering coffee, with native speakers. If you respond correctly and clearly, the dialogue will move forward. However, ImmerseMe has a unique twist—it features real locations, so not only can you practice your language skills, you can actually feel like you’re abroad.
ImmerseMe offers Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese and Spanish.
ImmerseMe is currently available as a Chrome desktop application. Launches of an iOS app, an Android app and a VR headset app are planned for 2019.
Crystallize
Is it a game or virtual reality? Trick question—it’s both.
Crystallize helps students learn Japanese through an interactive, VR game. In it, you collect words that you find so that you can reuse them in the game. Then, you make use of your vocabulary stash in scenarios like making friends and getting a job.
Your responses will come in the form of either a response to a multiple-choice question or a sentence-building activity. When you complete the response correctly, the dialogue will move on. If you don’t have a vocabulary word you need, you’ll have to go listen in on other “conversations” until you find it.
But Crystallize is useful for more than just vocabulary acquisition. One study shows that Crystallize can also help teach you valuable non-verbal communication skills that you’ll need if you visit Japan, like how and when to bow.
Plus, you can go on quests or even work with other players, both of which can increase the fun factor and your motivation.
Crystallize is currently available via download for Windows, OSX or Linux.
Avakin Life
Avakin Life is a 3D mobile app in which you develop an avatar and then interact and explore in a virtual world. You can dance, build and decorate your living space, get a job or just hang out.
For language learners, though, Avakin Life provides some opportunities to practice your target language in a simulated environment. That’s because Avakin Live supports 11 languages: Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. To find someone speaking your target language, you simply need to go to the “social spots” screen and toggle to “international mode.” Then, you can practice chatting in your target language in an immersive environment.
Fulldive
Wouldn’t it be nice if YouTube videos really pulled you in and made you feel like you were actually there? Well, we’ve got some life-changing news for you—they can.
Fulldive is a virtual reality platform that allows you access to various forms of media in a virtual reality context. This means you can enjoy content in a Cardboard or Daydream virtual reality headset.
Fulldive offers an array of user-generated content, including photos and video. However, what’s really exciting for language learners is that Fulldive allows you to stream YouTube videos in virtual reality.
While it’s not interactive like options designed specifically for language learners, enjoying these videos on a virtual reality headset can help enmesh you in the video and make you feel more engaged, which is still quite useful.
Fulldive is designed to be used with a Google Cardboard or Daydream viewer.
So get your flux capacitor in gear.
If you see fluency in your future, check out these VR language learning options!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
