The possibilities of using virtual reality technology in teaching a foreign language

This paper considers the possibilities of using virtual reality technology in the process of teaching a foreign language. The relevance of the topic is due to the emergence of innovative computer developments and the prospect of their introduction into the educational process. The paper contains the definition of the term «virtual reality»; the views of scientists on the appropriateness of using digital technologies for pedagogical purposes are presented. The study gives a comprehensive analysis of modern Internet resources containing virtual reality technology, and describes in detail the possibilities of their use for teaching a foreign language. On the example of the educational program «Virtual Speech», methods of working on creating a presentation and preparing a monologue statement in virtual reality are considered, which confirms the practical significance of the work, the results of which can be used by foreign language teachers. The analysis revealed the advantages of the technology under consideration: creating the effect of full presence and immersion in the language environment, interactivity, expanding ideas about the surrounding processes and phenomena, sensory perception of updated data in a familiar environment, which contribute to the communicative competence development necessary for mastering a foreign language. These features of virtual reality are of interest to students and increase motivation to learn a foreign language. The conducted research allows us to conclude that there are great opportunities for using virtual reality technology in teaching a foreign language.