Immersive Virtual Reality Environment Affects New Word Learnin

How to promote the effectiveness of novel language learning has been a hot issue in education and psychology,among which word learning is an important part of language learning.However,learners still face great challenges in novel word learning from time to time,and helping learners to promote the effectiveness of novel word learning has always been of great concern to researchers.With the rapid development of modern technology,virtual reality technology has realized a highly immersive and interactive learning environment,and Immersive virtual reality(IVR)technology can both simulate a real language learning environment and achieve strict experimental control in terms of experimental manipulation,and novel word learning in an immersive virtual reality environment is an effective learning method.However,few studies have examined the effects of virtual reality environments on novel word learning and their neural mechanisms.In this study,we will examine the effect of IVR environment on neologic learning and its electrophysiological mechanisms using event-related potential technique.Experiment 1 examines the effect of an immersive virtual environment on novel word comprehension and its electrophysiological mechanisms.Thirty-five native Chinese speakers were asked to learn 20 German words each in an immersive virtual reality(IVR)environment and picture-word matching(PW)environment for three days.At the end of the study,a four alternative-forced choice task was used to measure the subjects’ learning effects from the perspective of comprehension,while electrophysiological data were collected.The behavioral results showed that subjects had faster repertory response times in the IVR environment compared to the PW environment,and the EEG results showed that novel word learning in the IVR environment induced smaller P2 s,P3s,and larger N2 s in the a four alternative-forced choice task compared to the PW environment.The results of Experiment 1 suggest that the IVR environment facilitates novel word learning at the level of language comprehension.Experiment II examined the effect of the immersive virtual environment on novel word recall and its electrophysiological mechanisms.Experiment 2 used the same subjects,learning environment,and learning process as Experiment 1.However,a picture naming task was used in the testing phase to measure the learning effects of the subjects from the perspective of language production,while their electrophysiological data were collected.The behavioral results showed no significant differences in the production effects.The EEG results showed that in the picture naming task,novel word learning in the IVR environment induced smaller N1 s,P3s,and larger P2 s compared to the PW environment.The results of Experiment 2 suggest that the IVR environment has a facilitative effect on neologic learning at the level of language production.In conclusion,the present study shows that the IVR environment contributes to vocabulary learning,supporting the view of embodied cognitive theory.This study provides new ideas to address the aspects of adults’ difficulties in learning foreign language vocabulary,which has important implications in the field of language learning.