Teaching English Language Skills in Engineering Classrooms: A Virtual Reality-Based Intervention

Engineers require English Language Competence to thrive in globalised fields, which in turn emphasizes novel pedagogical approaches in the delivery of technical higher studies. This work is concerned with the use of virtual reality in support of English teaching in engineering schools. Traditional teaching alone neither can motivate, nor give real-life speaking opportunity to students learning technical subjects. Virtual reality offers such an immersive experience where the user can learn by experience in a lifelike environment. The effectiveness of virtual reality is investigated in this paper to develop basic language skills, that is, listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the engineering curriculum. This research examines the possible influence of VR on the student's engagement, communication skill, and academic achievement based on empirical, case studies, and theoretical background. This paper explores some of the challenges involved in the adoption of VR, including cost, access, and teachers’ preparedness, and concludes in some of the implications of VR and future research and policy making. This study is significant as it addresses digital technology assisted language learning in the era of educational reforms, especially after the formation of National Educational Policy in India, 2020.