Task-based Language Teaching and High-immersive Virtual Reality: An Investigation of Children's Use of Scaffolding.

This report investigates how task type (information-gap versus reasoning-gap) and modality (oral versus oral-writing) affect scaffolding strategies used by young English as a second language (ESL) learners in high-immersion virtual reality (HVR) environments, within the framework of technology-mediated task-based language teaching (TMTBLT). The study involved 24 Grade 6 ESL students in Quebec completing four communicative tasks via the Rec Room application using Meta Quest 2 headsets. Results indicate that while overall language-related and procedural scaffolding strategies were consistently used across tasks, oral tasks elicited more meaning-focused and elaborate language-related episodes, whereas tasks with writing components triggered more form-focused episodes related to spelling and syntax. Procedural scaffolding strategies were largely unaffected by task features except for "giving directives," which was more frequent in information-gap tasks, suggesting greater coordination demands. The findings highlight the importance of designing HVR language tasks aligned with TMTBLT principles and leveraging immersive environments to foster meaningful language negotiation and teamwork among young learners.