A Systematic Review of the Impact of VR Technology on Higher Education Learners’ English Speaking Anxiety: Following PRISMA Guidelines

Virtual Reality (VR) technology offers promising possibilities for reducing English speaking anxiety among higher education learners. This systematic review follows PRISMA 2020 guidelines to analyze 11 relevant studies investigating VR’s impact on speaking anxiety reduction. Findings reveal that VR creates immersive, psychologically safe environments where learners can practice speaking without fear of negative evaluation. The technology demonstrates significant advantages over traditional teaching methods, including the provision of realistic conversational scenarios, opportunities for repeated practice without embarrassment, enhanced learner engagement, and improved accessibility to language learning resources. However, implementation challenges persist, including visual fatigue from prolonged use, unrealistic perceptions of virtual characters, technical difficulties, and potential disconnection from real-world environments. The analyzed studies show methodological limitations, such as small sample sizes, short intervention durations, discrepancies between anxiety levels and speaking abilities, and over-reliance on self-report measures. Future research should employ larger participant groups across diverse educational settings, extend intervention periods to evaluate long-term effects, utilize more objective assessment methods, and implement controlled experimental designs to isolate VR’s specific contributions. This review underscores VR’s transformative potential in language education while highlighting the need for close collaboration between educators and developers to maximize its educational benefits.