HICKORY, N.C. — Students who are learning English as their second language may need to make use of all kinds of educational tools to improve their mastery, and a lot of it comes with real-world practice. For those enrolled in the ESL program at Catawba Valley Community College, a new tool is now available to them for some practice.
CVCC announced Wednesday the College and Career Readiness ESL Department is now using virtual reality (VR) headsets as part of the Virtual Language Experience Program (VLEP), which launched in Fall 2021. CVCC said this allows students to immerse themselves in real-life scenarios and settings to help them practice using English.
“I have loved leading my ESL students in virtual reality learning,” said ESL instructor Katie Bowman. “Using VR I can take my students to all kinds of ‘real-world’ places that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible in the classroom. The students have been practicing their English at virtual restaurants, airports, car dealerships, hotels, and a doctor’s office. The students are having fun and getting to use new language skills in all kinds of practical ways. VR really can be both fun and educational.”
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Beyond some of the day-to-day experiences, CVCC said the college is making use of grants to help introduce students to industry-specific language in similar virtual classroom experiences. Programmers are developing content for workforce development and will include introducing vocabulary used in certain industries to help students learning English better integrate into a variety of workspaces.
The college also promised these innovations will have an impact on the community; Dr. Chanell Butler Morello, the associate dean of College and Career Readiness, said local businesses that hire CVCC graduates that went through the enhanced ESL immersions will see the results.
“We are thrilled to offer our English Language Learners the chance to study English vocabulary in the context of career preparation through the Virtual experience. This allows students the ability to communicate successfully in the workplace, which is also very valuable to our local business partners," she said.
