ABSTRACT
Considering the need for studies on the potential of immersive environments in education, this paper aims to investigate the relevance of Augmented Reality in ESL/EFL in the shortand long-term vocabulary learning. It also investigates the effects of this immersive environment on students with different proficiency levels, elementary and intermediate levels. Theoretically, the study is based on the assumptions of the Embodied Cognition theory, which considers the mind and our bodily experiences with the external world as central elements in the processing and acquisition of knowledge. In the methodological scope, the Augmented Reality environment used in this research was applied to 15 students of Ensino Técnico Integrado ao Ensino Médio do IFRJ, campus Eng. Paulo de Frontin and the data collected were generated through vocabulary tests and a questionnaire. The results indicate that the Augmented Reality environment can significantly contribute to vocabulary learning in the short and long term, especially for intermediate level students who benefited the most from the tested environment.
Keywords:
ESL/EFL vocabulary teaching and learning; augmented reality; embodied cognition