Led by Jung-Hsien Lin, assistant director and lecturer in the Program in Global Languages and Cultures (GLC), UC Irvine has been awarded a $90,000 IMMERSE Essentials Funding Award for the 2026-27 academic year. The grant will provide 300 student licenses on the IMMERSE platform, an AI-powered language learning environment that places learners inside virtual, conversation-based scenarios designed to replicate real-world communication.
Students in GLC courses and related language learning programs will gain access to more than 400 micro-lessons in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese, each guided by an AI tutor and set within contextualized virtual environments. The platform will be integrated into selected courses and workshops, including those connected to digital humanities initiatives.
“What makes this grant especially meaningful is that it allows us to bring to UCI the kind of learning experience that matters most to me as both a language learner and a language instructor,” Lin shares. “One that emphasizes authentic use, meaningful interaction and learning through experience.”
The award builds on Lin’s work at the intersection of language pedagogy, immersive technology and intercultural communication. As director of the Intercultural Communication and VR Research Lab, she has spent years investigating how virtual environments can support the kinds of learning that traditional classrooms struggle to replicate. For Lin, the most common challenge she’s observed in language education is the gap between knowing a language and feeling confident using it.
The IMMERSE platform addresses that gap directly, offering students opportunities to practice communication in realistic virtual scenarios where they can make decisions and respond in real time. “Language learning is fundamentally social and experiential,” Lin says. “Students don’t just learn vocabulary and grammar; they learn how to navigate relationships, interpret cultural cues and communicate in unfamiliar situations.”
She points to her Global Cultures Senior Capstone course as an early proof of concept. When UCI students met international partners inside virtual reality environments, anxiety about language barriers quickly gave way to natural conversation. Students later reflected that they had spoken more and felt a stronger sense of connection with their partners than they expected.
“These technologies are most valuable when they support human experiences rather than replace them,” Lin explains. “Personally, I see VR and immersive technologies as tools that can help bridge the gap between classroom learning and lived experience.”
Expanding the reach of the humanities
While the grant’s immediate focus is language acquisition, Lin sees its implications reaching across the School of Humanities. Writing-intensive programs including Humanities Core and Composition may find value in incorporating low-stakes oral practice through immersive platforms, giving students a space to build communicative confidence alongside their written work.
She is also attentive to how AI-driven language tools connect to broader debates about generative AI in education. AI and VR, she argues, are often assumed to belong to STEM disciplines, but the humanities have a distinct role to play in shaping how these technologies are used and understood. “I am especially curious about how we can remain innovative in our teaching while maintaining a human-centered approach to learning,” Lin adds.
Ultimately, Lin hopes the project will support the School of Humanities’ contributions to university-wide conversations about the future of teaching.
“Language learning is about building connections,” she explains. “If immersive technologies can help students feel more confident communicating across languages, cultures and experiences, then they are helping us advance one of the most important goals of a humanities education.”
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