VR-Tour as the form of studying English grammar and lexis

Abstract

The paper investigates the problem of virtual technologies introduction into the English language teaching at the educational institutions of Ukraine. Aim of research is to reveal the possibilities of implementing virtual tours in teaching English as a foreign language and to propose the complex of virtual tours for studying English grammar and lexis to applicants for general secondary and higher education. The methods  used to  achieve  the research goal  were theoretical  (analysis  and synthesis). The types of virtual technologies and the main means of virtual reality (hereinafter – VR) are named in the article. The author gives the hypothesis that a VR-tour as a form of  teaching  English  in educational institutions can be effective in teaching English as a foreign language. According to the author’s point of view on the division of types of VR-tours for learning English as a foreign language at educational institutions, there are such types of VR-tours: according to  the  content  ‒  survey, thematic, educational; according to the number of participants ‒ individual, pair, group, collective; according to the VR technologies used ‒ full-immersion VR-tours,  VR-tours  without  immersion,  VR- tours with shared infrastructure; according to the means used in  their creation ‒ high-tech, medium- tech, low-tech VR-tours.

The complex of VR-tours for teaching English grammar and lexis in educational institutions is proposed. It consists of two parts according to the way of their creation, namely: Part 1 (teacher’s and students’ creation) ‒ The use of VR-tours based on online platforms (such as Google Earth or similar Google Earth Plus/Pro/Engine, Mapillary, Tour Builder, Historypin, Tour Creator), in particular,  VR- tours visiting geographical locations to consolidate lexical-grammatical material, VR-tours of the overview and description of monuments and sights, VR-tours to Mars and the Moon, VR-tours by the teacher’s instuctions and commands, VR-tours along a route planned before  by  the  applicant  or  a group, VR-tours as a trip along an improvised route; Part 2 ‒ Using already existing online VR-tours for studying English grammar and lexis: VR-tour "Ukrainian open-air museums" (to  7  authentic museums of Ukrainian culture and life, Ukraine), VR-tours to Art Museums and to Natural History Museums (USA and UK). The proposed by the author complex of the VR-tours can be used  to  teach English lexis and grammar in all the kinds of institutions of general secondary education and of higher education. The prospects of the research are seen in the pedagogical experiment of using VR-tours in teaching English grammar and lexis.