AILA 2021 Symposium S091 'Language learning through leisure: Informal Second Language Learning in the 21st century'

Description

The last 10 years have seen the birth of a new field within applied linguistics, embracing all sorts of language acquisition outside the classroom. With the rapid development and spread of new technologies, informal language contact has become commonplace for many L2 learners. While this can take many different forms, online contexts are a major driving force because they present L2 learners with unprecedented opportunities for exposure to and use of target language(s) regardless of their physical location. Research on this topic has emerged concurrently from diverse contexts. As a result, a variety of terms have been used to describe it (including Extramural English, Informal Digital Learning of English or Online Informal Learning of English), each of which emphasises particular aspects of the informal practices studied. Early research tended to focus on English as a target language, but more recently research on other languages is becoming more prominent. The purpose of this symposium was to bring together researchers working on informal L2 practices to engage in critical dialogue about the scope of this field and to share their diverse theoretical perspectives, methodological approaches and findings. Our featured speakers were Geoffrey Sockett, Mark Dressman and Phil Benson.

Period	2021 Aug 16 → 2021 Aug 17
Event type	Conference
Location	Groningen, NetherlandsShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International