Publication
Learn Reading in a Fairy Tale: Design Guidelines for Immersive L2 Reading Competency Self-Learning
Enrico Kochon; Marlon Werth; Sergey Krutikov; Oliver Thomas
In: Ulrike Lucke; Stefan Stieglitz; Falk Uebernickel; Anna-Lena Lamprecht; Maike Klein (Hrsg.). Lecture Notes in Informatics. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Informatik (INFORMATIK-2025), The Wide Open - Offenheit von Source bis Science, located at INFORMATIK-2025, September 16-19, Potsdam, Germany, Pages 987-1000, Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. Bonn, 2025.
Abstract
Learning to read and speak a second language (L2) is a complex process that benefits from engaging, multimodal experiences - especially for young learners in multilingual educational contexts. With the increasing availability of affordable immersive technologies, new opportunities arise for designing digital applications that support language acquisition. This paper presents design guidelines and a prototype for an immersive virtual reality (VR) application that fosters the development of reading and speaking competencies of German as L2. The prototype targets young learners with basic German reading proficiency and is designed for self-learning. Following a Design Science Research (DSR) approach, the application was iteratively developed and evaluated. The VR environment combines gamification elements with AI based speech feedback and multilingual support to promote independent practice. Initial user feedback and expert evaluation indicate high motivation and usability potential. The resulting design guidelines offer a transferable foundation for future VR-based language learning tools.
