Virtual reality (VR) is said to be beneficial to language learners in that it can potentially enhance motivation, engagement and learning outcomes. Reviews of past research indicate that most studies conducted in this area are one-shot case studies with a small number of students spanned over a short period of time and that their interventions are focused on only certain areas of language learning such as acquiring vocabulary. There are not yet a sufficient number of studies which have rigorously and longitudinally investigated the impact of VR integration on language learning. To fill this research gap, the presenters have launched a quasi-experimental study lasting eight weeks in which they aim to compare changes in students’ engagement and language learning outcomes under two remote flipped learning conditions, on Zoom and in VR. The course is designed to prepare Japanese students to do small talk in English effectively. The control (Zoom) group study was completed in early 2023 with 32 participants (19 females, 13 males) and the experimental (VR) group study will be implemented in 2024 with approximately the same number of participants. In this presentation, the findings from the first phase of the study will be reported and discussed.