[ Article ]
Korea Journal of English Language and Linguistics - Vol. 23, No. 0, pp. 220-236
Abbreviation: KASELL
ISSN: 1598-1398 (Print) 2586-7474 (Online)
Received 28 Feb 2023 Revised 17 Mar 2023 Accepted 19 Mar 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15738/kjell.23..202303.220
Exploring the Potential of Metaverse as a Future Learning Platform for Enhancing EFL Learners’ English Proficiency
Hea-Suk Kim ; Na-Young Kim ; Yoonjung Cha
(1st author) Associate Professor, Department of General Education, Seoul Women’s University (shskim@swu.ac.kr)
(corresponding author) Independent Researcher, Ewha Womans University (alicenayoung@naver.com)
(corresponding author) Professor, Peace and Liberal Arts College, Hanshin University (yjcha@hs.ac.kr)
© 2023 KASELL All rights reserved This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Funding Information ▼ Hanshin University

The aim of this study was to focus on describing how different learning platforms (traditional and Metaverse) may influence learners’ English proficiency. To investigate whether the experience of a Metaverse environment can be favorable for speaking practice, forty-five students were divided into two groups: traditional and Metaverse. During the semester, students in the traditional group practiced speaking English in offline classrooms, while those in the Metaverse group exercised speaking English in a Metaverse environment. According to the findings, both groups significantly improved their English proficiency within the group, but there were no significant differences between the two groups. In terms of students’ perspectives, the advantages and disadvantages of the Metaverse learning platform shed light on how they perceived using it for learning English speaking. The results of this study also suggest pedagogical implications and insights for future research.