Second-language Discourse in the Digital World

“Ilona Vandergriff offers a fascinating, state-of-the-art examination of computer-mediated discourse and its relation to language learning. Exploring themes such as multilingualism, multimodality, literacy, and identity in contexts ranging from chatrooms and student blogs to Facebook and World of Warcraft, Vandergriff shows us what second-language users actually do with their L2 when they go online. With examples from many different languages, Vandergriff analyzes linguistic patterns as well as social practices to shed light on language users’ agency, creativity, and online intersubjectivity — all of which provides a bounty of food for thought for educators, researchers, and language learners.”

“This book breaks new ground in examining and illustrating the linguistic and digital practices that L2 users employ as part of computer-mediated discourse in the language classroom and in the digital wilds.”

“ Second-language discourse in the digital world: Linguistic and social practices in and beyond the networked classroom presents a refreshing view of online L2 practices as mitigators of the constraints of language learning in the traditional classroom, highlighting the relevance of foreign language learning in the 21st century as well as the importance of becoming proficient in L2 digital practices.
An excellent and well-written piece that every language teacher interested in understanding how the internet can help their students will enjoy, the book challenges traditional and idealized notions of language learning (i.e. authenticity, monolingualism, nativeness) and presents L2 speakers as competent multilingual digital users who are able to develop new L2 literacies as well as create L2 identities once they are outside of the traditional classroom and its constraining discourse practices.
Using Herring’s (2004) computer-mediated discourse analysis (CMDA) the book highlights multilingual resources that L2 users employ in their multimodal communication, focusing on issues of structure, meaning, interaction management and social phenomena, illustrating these through interactions from a variety of tools and environments, including synchronous computer-mediated communication, wikis, blogs, fandoms, online multiplayer games, virtual worlds, and social networks.
The book highlights the importance of networked communities as places of affinity and learning, digital genres as spaces for linguistic and intercultural growth, and language learner agency exercised through active engagement, alteration of learning activities and challenging of rules and others on the net. It also examines linguistic resources employed by the L2 users as multilingual speakers (i.e. codeswitching) to create a social presence (by indexing the L2 self and by doing relational work) and participate in social networks (by negotiate community norms, establish mutual understanding, using humor, and participate in support networks). These concepts are then explored for their pedagogic value and inclusion into language teaching while critically exploring issues that can marginalize and challenge L2 users.
An excellent read for language educators interested in exploring the possibilities of the internet since the more understanding educators and learners have of linguistic and sociolinguistic practices and issues relevant to online practices, the more effective they will be to position themselves as competent and confident L2 users which will allow them to more fully participate in and benefit from online interactions.”

“Contemporary language use and learning are mediated by an increasingly diverse array of communicative modalities and social practices, creating conditions that present new challenges and opportunities. With this book, Ilona Vandergriff provides an insightful and comprehensive road map to help language educators navigate the complexities of 21st century technologies, cultures, and communicative practices. The text is rich with pedagogically innovative examples that will serve as an invaluable resource for teachers interested in both instructionally located language learning as well as language use and development beyond the classroom.”

“This book unveils and demystifies face practices in Chinese communication through compelling arguments based on strong empirical evidence. Its sound theoretical approach combined with its impressive body of empirical data make for an exemplary study that will be of great value to readers interested in discourse analysis and intercultural communication.”