Optimizing affordances of high immersive virtual reality for language learning

Virtual reality (VR) technology has enjoyed a hype in the past years that made many realize the huge opportunity VR technology poses for language learning. Nevertheless, there has been a significant lack of research publications investigating the use of VR for language learning. In 2021 and 2022, however, we have seen a drastic change with a multitude of new research projects reported. In this article, we first present which common VR application features offer affordances for second language learning and then survey to what degree these features have been adopted in the reviewed studies. The main investigated affordances of VR that we identified to be beneficial to language learning are its presence, interactivity, embodiment, and emotional connection. Finally, we offer an outlook for researchers and developers to adopt and implement VR features for future language learning applications.