The Online Informal Learning of English

Abstract

Tablets, smartphones, smart watches, Web 2.0, the time is ripe for a comprehensive study of the incidental English language learning which takes place as users browse, graze, and shoot the breeze online. Geoffrey Sockett, Professor of Linguistics at Paris Descartes University, does precisely that in this book, which consists of an introduction, a conclusion, and six substantive chapters (2–7) exploring how online informal learning of English (OILE) takes place, and the implications of this for classroom teaching. In the introduction, Sockett makes it clear that he regards OILE as encompassing many online activities such as watching video material, listening to pop music, online reading, social networking, and other interactive online practices which involve the use of English by non-native speakers. It is also clear from the outset (see, for instance, p. 4) that much of the evidence adduced will come from the context of French learners of English, unsurprising given the workplace of the author. The book provides extensive evidence of the practices of language learners during the period 2009–2013.