Language-Learning Technology in the Classroom

Work Package 2 (WP2) investigates how language-learning software is creating new virtual learning environments, and how these affect the motivational and pedagogical experience of early secondary-level learners of French across Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland. We are trialling two products: ImmerseMe, a web-based immersive platform that uses 360º video to simulate real-world communicative encounters, and a new custom-developed, LLM-powered chatbot that lets students practise speaking and listening.

Alongside learner motivation and progression, we are looking at teachers’ confidence and competence in using these emerging technologies, since teachers’ willingness to adopt and sustain new tools is critical to whether they become part of everyday classroom practice. ImmerseMe is being trialled in eight schools (two per jurisdiction) during the 2026–27 school year, with the custom software following in eight schools in 2027–28.

Discovery workshops with teachers and pupils in Belfast and Cardiff identified three themes to guide the design of the new software. The first is about accessibility: giving learners control over their own pace, using visual aids, and providing private feedback, to reduce the anxiety and cognitive load that spelling and pronunciation can create. The second is about identity: motivation is often relational, driven by a desire for social belonging and vocational success, pointing towards project-based learning that mirrors real-world goals, such as helping others or pursuing a career. The third is about play: narrative-driven, game-based activities that create a sense of flow, balancing enjoyable exploration with practical skills such as navigating everyday signs. Taken together, these findings suggest that learner agency — control over how they learn, who they become in the process, and where their imagination leads them — is the critical factor in successful software design.

Research Questions

How do teachers gauge the strengths of digital tools for teaching French to early secondary-level students?

How do teachers gauge their own technological confidence and competence, and what relationship does this have with their use of ImmerseMe and the project’s custom software?

Is there an improvement in student motivation and progression towards learning French when students have had access to immersive technology?

Sharing the Findings

WP2 findings will be brought together at an international symposium, producing a report of recommendations for stakeholders seeking to make better use of language-learning technology in the classroom.