Learning a foreign language can be a challenging task for young learners but a very rewarding one at the same time. Studies report that children who speak more than one language enrich their cultural awareness (Gimatdinova, 2018), appear to have more flexible minds in terms of critical thinking and creativity and they increase their future employability (Ford, 2014). For many years, language education relied on conventional methods like fill-in-the-gap exercises and memorization, but in today's technologically advanced world, these methods are considered ineffective for Generation Z learners. Immersive technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) offer new opportunities for active participation, motivation, and rich learning outcomes.
AR enriches the real world with digital elements, allowing users to interact with both the physical environment and digital content simultaneously. More specifically, literature suggests that AR enhanced foreign language education is a field that has slowly attracted interest over the last two decades (Takkaç Tulgar et al., 2022) and efforts have been made to shed light into the affordances of AR and more specifically on how to encompass the benefits of this innovative technology into the pedagogy of English language teaching. Studies have demonstrated its positive impact on reducing cognitive load, fostering positive attitudes towards language learning, and enhancing content retention. It provides opportunities for meaningful interactions among peers and teachers in the target language. Vocabulary acquisition is highlighted as crucial for language development, and AR can support vocabulary learning through immersive activities and differentiated learning materials.
However, one of the most significant advantages of AR in language teaching is its accessibility. Teachers do not need any coding skills to develop AR experiences, as there are user-friendly applications available, like Quiver, ARTutor4, MirageXR, ARloopa . These applications can be used to create immersive experiences that support blended and face-to-face language learning activities such as creative writing, speaking exercises, guessing games, and critical thinking tasks.
Additionally, AR can enrich project-based learning and content-based language instruction by providing immersive scenarios related to real-world topics such as environmental issues or cultural heritage. For example, students can use AR to observe and learn about endangered species or explore different aspects of a country. Alternatively, AR can facilitate virtual tours, allowing students to explore different countries and cultures from their classrooms. This not only enhances students' understanding of global perspectives but also provides opportunities for language practice in authentic contexts. Students can plan virtual trips, make suggestions, and develop detailed plans for future visits, integrating listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.
Currently, similar AR language learning activities are being developed and piloted by the ARIDLL (Augmented Reality Instructional Design for Language Learning) Erasmus+ project partnership that aims:
a) at enabling effective language teaching with Augmented Reality,
b) at building capacity among language teachers to become proficient users and
creators of augmented reality educational materials and
c) at improving the quality of language education overall.
The Greek team of this partnership and an aspiring group of students from the 15th Primary School of Evosmos in Thessaloniki are asked to develop immersive English language learning experiences with the help of AR and to share their opinions about its affordances and suitability to foreign language development.
The future of education is in the teachers’ hands. They are only a step away from adopting new methods to reshape learning, while using the affordances of AR. They can use any available mobile devices to make the invisible visible and the impossible possible in the traditional classrooms. Immersive technologies can help educators reshape their teaching from content transmission to the creation of engaging learning experiences that promote foreign language development.
References
Ford, C. (2014, October 10). 'Children should start learning languages at age three'.
The Telegraph. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/11151726/Children-should-start-learning-languages-at-age-three.html
Gimatdinova, F. (2018). BENEFITS OF LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE AT
AN EARLY AGE. Journal of International Social Research, 11, 132–137. https://doi.org/10.17719/jisr.2018.2622
Takkaç Tulgar, A., Yilmaz, R. M., & Topu, F. B. (2022). Research Trends on the Use
of Augmented Reality Technology in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Participatory Educational Research, 9(5), 76–104.
*Angeliki Voreopoulou has been an ELT practitioner since 1998. She is currently working in a State Primary school in Northern Greece. She holds a BA in English and English Language from University of Kent, an MEd in TEFL from University of Bristol and an MSc in Immersive Technologies from International Hellenic University. She has been awarded twice the ELT Excellence Awards in 2021 and 2022 with a Silver and a Gold Award.
