Effects of experiencing authentic contexts on English speaking performances, anxiety and motivation of EFL students with different cognitive styles

ABSTRACT

English speaking is a challenging learning objective for EFL (English as Foreign Language) learners owing to the lack of practicing environments. In this study, Interactive Spherical Video-based Virtual Reality (ISVVR) was adopted as the learning mode to provide realistic sociocultural contexts for English speaking. In addition, an experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of the SVVR approach on the English speaking performances and anxiety of the EFL students with different cognitive styles. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was conducted to investigate the effects of the interaction between cognitive style and multimedia learning mode on students’ learning motivation, speaking anxiety, oral presentation, and move analysis. The student sample consisted of two classes of 93 students. All of the students took the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) to identify whether their cognitive style was field dependent or independent. The results showed a significant effect for the interaction between the cognitive styles and the learning modes on the students’ oral presentation and speaking anxiety. Their structural moves in oral presentations with the ISVVR learning mode showed more similar spoken genre patterns to those of TED speakers. Findings further support the benefit of incorporating cognitive styles into the ISVVR learning mode for EFL learners.

KEYWORDS:

• Interactive learning environments
• media in education
• virtual reality
• language learning
• cognitive style

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of China [grant numbers MOST-106-2511-S-011 -005 -MY3 and MOST-108-2511-H-].

Notes on contributors

Mei-Rong Alice Chen

Dr. Mei-Rong Alice Chen is a program-specific researcher at the Academic Center for Computing and Media Studies, Kyoto University. Her research interests include technology in language learning, pedagogy and learning design, and flipped learning.

Gwo-Jen Hwang

Dr. Gwo-Jen Hwang is a chair professor at the Graduate Institute of Digital Learning and Education, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. His research interests include mobile learning, digital game-based learning, flipped classroom, and AI in education.