THE IMPACT OF VIRTUAL REALITY ON EFL LEARNERS’ SPEAKING ANXIETY AND CONFIDENCE

Abstract

Speaking anxiety remains one of the most persistent barriers to oral proficiency development in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. Although communicative language teaching and task-based approaches have expanded opportunities for interaction, many traditional classrooms still struggle to provide the psychologically safe and low-pressure speaking environments that highly anxious learners may require. Virtual Reality (VR) technologies offer a potentially valuable response by creating immersive speaking environments in which the perceived social risks of performance may be reduced.

This article examines the potential of VR to reduce EFL speaking anxiety and strengthen learner confidence through a synthesis of three theoretical perspectives: Krashen’s (1982) Affective Filter Hypothesis, Bandura’s (1997) self-efficacy theory, and Csikszentmihalyi’s (1990) flow theory. Drawing on recent empirical studies published between 2020 and 2025, the article argues that VR may influence anxiety indirectly through the development of communicative confidence and perceived fluency. A three-mechanism framework is proposed involving reduced evaluative pressure, self-efficacy development through repeated mastery experiences, and flow-oriented task engagement. Pedagogical implications are discussed with particular attention to communicative task design, graduated exposure, learner agency, and the principled integration of VR into EFL speaking instruction.