As virtual reality apps become more advanced and realistic, their practical applications in our daily lives diversify. There are apps for training students and employees, 3D design apps, healthcare apps, and so on. In the educational field, a new type of app has appeared: language learning through virtual reality.
Virtual Reality – A Perfect Medium for Immersive Learning
The human brain is designed to absorb and retain information for the long term more easily if it is presented in a visual form. This is why video training sessions and school lessons replace written text wherever possible. The next step further from watching videos is to be fully immersed in an environment and interact with objects in order to acquire information.
[mks_pullquote align=”right” width=”300″ size=”16″ bg_color=”#04303e” txt_color=”#ffffff”]MondlyVR app combines the immersive experience with artificial intelligence to help people experience real-life situations and conversations.[/mks_pullquote]And this is exactly what virtual reality apps do: they create a realistic, 3D world where users are completely isolated from other distractions from the real world outside. This system of learning already has a range of apps – some for personal use at home, others used in the academic environment.Recently, a new app has appeared on the market: Mondly, the first VR app which helps users learn new languages.
MondlyVR – The First Attempt to Teach Foreign Languages through Virtual Reality
MondlyVR is not just another app which teaches users standard phrases, some of them without any practical use. This VR app combines the immersive experience with artificial intelligence to help people experience real-life situations and conversations.
MondlyVR adds another layer of interactivity and immersion to the already popular teaching method of the regular Mondly app. Instead of just talking to voice chatbots, users can experience more life-like conversations with virtual characters. This chatbot conversation approach is appreciated by users – the regular Mondly learning app has already been downloaded over 20 million times and has received a rating of 4.7 stars out of 5 on both Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Here’s how MondlyVR works:
Can Virtual Reality Apps Become the Future of Language Learning?
Speaking with an AI bot in the virtual reality environment is, according to the CEO of Mondly, Alex Iliescu, among the best ways to learn a new language.
“The biggest things that keep people from actually speaking and using new languages are fear and lack of life-like practice.”
Indeed, without the fear of being judged and laughed at for the improper use of words and the awkward accent, people are encouraged to learn by speaking out and repeating until they really get the meaning and pronunciation of a word.
From this perspective, virtual reality is a safe environment, where users can make as many mistakes as they need until they learn. It is also an environment where the teacher is replaced by a friendly character, who takes them through familiar environments and situations and encourages them to start a conversation.
At the present, MondlyVR is opening the path for other virtual reality apps. It features 28 languages and is available on the Oculus Store and Google Play for the price of $4.99.
