Book Review: Dynamics of a Social Language Learning Community by Jo Mynard, Michael Burke, Daniel Hooper, Bethan Kushida, Phoebe Lyon, Ross Sampson, and Phillip Taw

Abstract

In the field of foreign and second language (L2) education, the primary focus has been on the language teaching, learning, and language development in the L2 classroom. However, beginning from the last decade, there is a growing recognition that language teaching and learning also take place in non-classroom settings (Reinders & Benson, 2017). Following this realization, the role of a social learning space has been increasingly emphasized in influencing and facilitating the language development of L2 learners. Social learning space as a construct refers to a place where learners can gather together and learn with and from each other through relaxed “social interaction” (Murray, 2017, p. 117). Social learning spaces have recently begun to be viewed as an indispensable context for L2 learning, although research on these social learning spaces is still in its infancy. This book (Mynard et al., 2020) is one of the first few scholarly collections that addresses this emerging area of study, and it offers intriguing insights to enrich the field’s understanding of L2 learners’ growth beyond the classroom. There are in total four main sections in this book, including setting the scene, case studies, exploring concepts through the research, and implications for the field.