Language Learning in Virtual Reality: Enhancement of Long-Term Vocabulary Recognition and Understanding through Full-Body Avatars

Virtual Reality (VR) offers new embodied learning opportunities through full-body avatars interacting with the virtual environment and thereby inducing a sense of embodiment. Interestingly, while there is a profound body of research on various factors of embodiment as well as on embodied learning in virtual environments, the effects of virtual self-representation and avatar embodiment on learning outcomes are underexplored. In this work we present the results of an exploratory study (n = 32) based on a within-participants design with three conditions. We examined the effects of two fully immersive learning environments, one with low avatar embodiment and one with high avatar embodiment, and a low-immersive desktop application on vocabulary learning. The results imply that fully immersive VR does not improve short- and long-term recognition compared to desktop VR. However, increased immersion prevents knowledge loss and embodied interactions through full-body avatars can foster long-term vocabulary recognition and semantic understanding.