<![CDATA[This study explores how virtual reality (VR), when combined with a deep learning approach, supports the development of intercultural awareness among prospective English teacher (EPT) students in an Intercultural Communication course at a private university in West Java. A total of 21 sixth-semester EPT students participated, and their Padlet artifacts, video narratives, and questionnaire responses were analyzed using a qualitative case study design, drawing on (Braun & Clarke, 2023) six-phase thematic analysis combined with Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis (Pešić, 2022) . Five themes emerged, addressing the two research questions. Two of them revealed something worth noting: VR functions not merely as a classroom aid, but as an immersive space where joyfull, meaningful connection, and full engagement occur simultaneously rather than in sequence. The other three themes point to changes that suggest a shift beyond surface-level perception. Students revised cultural assumptions they had never questioned before, drawing contrastive comparisons between their own culture and the ones they encountered in VR. Their affective responses also felt genuine rather than a collective formality, signaling the development of intercultural sensitivity. Questionnaire data support this: the majority of participants agreed that the VR sessions were enjoyable and sharpened their intercultural awareness. Overall, these findings suggest that VR combined with deep learning is a viable, and arguably underutilized, approach to building intercultural communicative competence among prospective English teachers.]]>
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