Exploring the Application of Virtual Reality in Facilitating EFL Vocabulary Acquisition: An Analysis Using Bloom's Taxonomy

To prepare their citizens for global social, economic, and political contexts, people, including Chinese, are pursuing English as a specialised foreign course. They believe that mastering this language will offer them an advantage in business as well as international relations. Vocabulary plays a central role in language learning, influencing not only communication skills but also reading comprehension, writing ability, and overall academic performance. When learning a new language, speakers of foreign languages frequently battle with a limited vocabulary in general. Thus, this research intends to explore the impact of VR on EFL vocabulary acquisition among Chinese university students concerning different levels of Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive learning. For this purpose, a qualitative research approach using a case study research design has been employed. Semi-structured interviews with Chinese EFL students were carried out who had different proficiency levels and experiences with VR-based learning. The findings of the study confirmed the impact of VR in improving the vocabulary acquisition of Chinese EFL learners, aiding cognitive processing from low-order to high-order via multimodal input, adaptive application, and immersive conceptualisation. Students reported benefits such as increased motivation, engagement, and confidence, though some indicated challenges linked to technological familiarity and learning preferences. This will help EFL teachers integrate VR or similar technologies into their teaching to maximise Chinese students' vocabulary acquisition and retention, while addressing variations in tool design and learner readiness.