Learning Languages On-Line

Publisher: Common Ground Publishing

E-ISSN: 1447-9559|4|9|107-122

ISSN: 1447-9508

Source: The International Journal of the Humanities: Annual Review, Vol.4, Iss.9, 2007-01, pp. : 107-122

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

Previous Menu Next

Abstract

Several studies have stressed the importance of interactive participation for Second Language Acquisition. Language learning does not occur in isolation. It is linked to emotional and social phenomena, and interpersonal relations enhance learning when learners are engaged in supportive social interaction. At the same time, language is a tool in the socialisation process; through language use, learners construct not only linguistic but also cultural practices, creating their own identity within the culture of the classroom. The study reported in this paper is part of a wider investigation exploring the relationship between social interactions, learners’ affective variables and the development of communicative competence in the context of Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC). The study documents the nature of university students’ second language play in CMC, and also explores the role of learners’ interpersonal dynamics, focusing on the use of humour in language play as a means of creating and reinforcing classroom communities.