Drawing on extensive research with students of Italian as a Foreign Language, this book investigates whether immersive VR environments can foster positive interdependence as the foundation of successful cooperative learning in blended educational settings. Through digital storytelling activities, students navigated virtual worlds while developing crucial mediation strategies that facilitate language acquisition through goal-oriented collaboration. Critical gaps in language education are addressed by examining how VR technology impacts student relationships, teamwork dynamics, and the development of communicative competencies essential for our increasingly digital society. Moving beyond traditional approaches to language pedagogy, the book demonstrates how virtual experiences can create authentic contexts for meaningful linguistic interaction. It also provides practical frameworks for integrating immersive technologies into language curricula, offers strategies for developing mediation skills in virtual settings, and presents comprehensive guidelines for teachers implementing tech-based language education. Discover how the future of language education lies not just in what we learn and teach, but in how we connect, virtually and meaningfully, with one another.
