The Effect of Virtual Reality–Based Learning on Thai Students’ Chinese Listening and Speaking Skills: A Pretest–Posttest Study in Ayutthaya

บทคัดย่อ

This study examines the impact of Virtual Reality (VR)–based instruction on Thai secondary school students’ Chinese listening and speaking skills. A one-group pretest–posttest research design was employed. The participants were 45 Thai students aged 13–18 who had studied Chinese for at least five years. Their listening and speaking performances were measured before and after the implementation of VR-supported learning activities. The results indicate a significant improvement in listening performance, with mean scores increasing from 8.36 in the pretest to 12.62 in the posttest. The reduction in standard deviation suggests not only overall progress but also a narrowing of performance gaps among students. Speaking scores improved from 2.02 to 2.76, showing a positive trend, although the magnitude of improvement was smaller compared to listening. Overall scores rose from 10.38 to 15.38, accompanied by a decrease in standard deviation, indicating enhanced overall language proficiency and more consistent performance. The findings suggest that VR-based immersive learning can effectively enhance students’ Chinese listening and speaking abilities, particularly in listening comprehension. By providing authentic contextual environments and interactive experiences, VR technology increases learner engagement and supports meaningful language input and output. Although improvements in speaking were comparatively moderate, the overall results demonstrate the potential of VR-assisted instruction in improving language learning outcomes. This study offers empirical evidence supporting the integration of VR technology into Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language and highlights its value in immersive, context-based language education.