Readiness for virtual reality-supported French oral production: Perceptions of students and lecturers in a Ghanaian public university
Stella Afi Makafui Yegblemenawo 
, Alexander Ocloo , Theophilus Owusu-Ansah & Akua Akomea Baayim
Issue: Vol. 7 No. 8 2026 Article 4 pp. 953 – 968
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2026784 Published online 29th September 2026.
© 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This study examined readiness for virtual reality (VR)-supported French oral production in a bachelor’s programme at a Ghanaian public university. It documented students’ oral production difficulties and current speaking opportunities, examined students’ and lecturers’ perceptions of the usefulness, acceptability, and feasibility of VR-supported activities, and identified activity types and implementation conditions considered suitable for the setting. A cross-sectional convergent mixed-methods design was used. Data were collected between August and September 2025 through a questionnaire completed by 69 students, semi-structured interviews with two oral-production lecturers, and observations of three oral-production classes. Questionnaire data were analysed descriptively, while open-ended responses, interview data, and observation notes were analysed thematically and integrated during interpretation. Lack of practice was the most frequently reported difficulty, followed by limited vocabulary and low confidence when speaking. Students expressed strong interest in using VR and preferred real-life scenarios, interaction with virtual French speakers, pronunciation practice, and role-play. Lecturers also saw potential value in simulated, response-oriented activities, but identified cost, infrastructure, technical support, and training as important constraints. Classroom observations showed that oral activities were already present, although participation and the duration of speaking opportunities varied across lessons. The study therefore provides evidence of perceived value and preliminary readiness, not evidence of learning effectiveness. It supports a small, syllabus-aligned pilot that tests usability, task design, classroom integration, and institutional capacity before wider implementation.
Keywords: Virtual Reality, Oral Production, Higher Education, Ghana, Technology Readiness
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Stella Afi Makafui Yegblemenawo is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Language and Communication Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. Her research interests include the Teaching of French as a Foreign Language and the Teaching of French for Specific Purposes. (samyegblemenawo.cass@knust.edu.gh )
Alexander Ocloo is a Lecturer in the Department of Language and Communication Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. His research interests include the Teaching of French as a Foreign Language. (alexander.ocloo@knust.edu.gh )
Theophilus Owusu-Ansah was a Bachelor of Arts, French and Francophone Studies student at the time this manuscript was being prepared. His research interests include the Teaching of French as a Foreign Language. (theophilusowusu87@icloud.com )
Akomea Baayim Akua was a Bachelor of Arts in French and Francophone Studies student at the time this manuscript was being prepared. Her research interests include the Teaching of French as a Foreign Language. (akuaakomea58@gmail.com )
Yegblemenawo, Stella Afi Makafui, Alexander Ocloo; Theophilus Owusu-Ansah & Akua Akomea Baayim. “Readiness for Virtual Reality-Supported French oral production: Perceptions of students and lecturers in a Ghanaian public university.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 7, no.7 (2026): 662 – 678. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2026784
© 2026 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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