IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING FOR ENGINEERING STUDENTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/2415-3605.25.2.6Keywords:
augmented reality, education, engineering students, immersive technologies, gamification, language learning, virtual reality, virtual immersive environmentsAbstract
The digital transformation of education is vital for developing foreign language proficiency. Immersive technologies revolutionise education by offering dynamic, interactive, and context-rich learning experiences that surpass traditional methods. These technologies create realistic scenarios for language practice and cultural immersion in safe, controlled settings, thereby enhancing motivation, comprehension, and personalised learning. In education, immersive technologies have evolved to transform learners from passive observers to active participants in simulated events, creating a sense of reality. Virtual reality simulates three-dimensional environments for interactive experiences, generating real situations. While immersive technologies offer significant possibilities, their full didactic potential for foreign language learning remains an area for continued exploration and strategic implementation. A number of scientific works laid the groundwork for understanding the importance of immersive technologies for foreign language studying. By the early 2000s, researchers began exploring the educational potential of immersive technologies, highlighting their appeal for communication and problem-solving alongside technological and cognitive challenges. They observed the growing integration of immersive media into online courses, fostering new student-teacher-content interactions. The paper highlights the growing need for digital transformation in education and investigates the didactic potential of immersive technologies for foreign language acquisition, particularly for students in technical universities. The paper conducted a comparative analysis of existing approaches, identified the characteristics and advantages of immersive learning environments, and surveyed both students and teachers regarding their attitudes towards these technologies. The research concludes that while immersive technologies offer significant benefits for enhancing motivation, interactivity, and practical language application, their full implementation in higher education requires further methodological development and addressing existing challenges.
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