Mejora de las habilidades del habla persia a través de juegos digitales de realidad virtual: un enfoque basado en la teoría de la actividad para estudiantes de habla árabe iraquí en el centro azfa de la universidad de ilam

Resumo

This study explores the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) digital games in improving Persian speaking skills among Iraqi Arabic-speaking learners at the Center for Teaching Persian to Non-Persian Speakers (AZFA), Ilam University, Iran. Using Activity Theory as a framework, five VR games were designed to simulate authentic Persian contexts, including a narrative game set in a Persian village during Nowruz and interactive scenarios like market negotiations and family gatherings. These games employ natural language processing and speech recognition to provide real-time feedback, targeting phonological challenges (e.g., Persian [ʒ] vs. Arabic [dʒ]) and cultural practices like taarof. An eight-week study with 200 learners (CEFR A1–C1) and a control group (N=150) using traditional methods showed that the VR group significantly outperformed the control group, with speaking fluency improving by 20% (vs. 7% for control), pronunciation accuracy by 19% (vs. 6%), and intercultural competence by 28% (vs. 11%). Engagement metrics indicated 32-minute average session durations and a 92% task completion rate. Learners reported that VR felt like “living in a Persian village.” The study recommends integrating VR into AZFA curricula, exploring augmented reality (AR), and incorporating dialectal variations like Isfahani Persian for advanced learners. This framework offers a scalable model for less commonly taught languages, enhancing linguistic and cultural competence.