Social networking is now one of the ways in which anyone can set out to learn or improve their language skills. This collection brings together different sets of learning experiences and shows that success depends on the wider environment of the learner, the kind of activity the learner engages in and the type of learning priorities he or she has.

Social Networking Approach to Japanese Language Teaching is a timely guide for Japanese language teachers and anyone interested in language pedagogy. The book outlines an innovative approach to language instruction which goes beyond the communicative approach and encourages a global view of language education and curriculum development through the use of social networking. It showcases diverse examples of how social networking can be harnessed and incorporated into everyday language classes to increase learners’ curiosity and engagement in real cultural and global interactions. While the focus is on Japanese language teaching, the concepts explored can be applied to other languages and teaching contexts. This book will benefit teachers of any language as well as linguists interested in language pedagogy.

The pace at which technology changes has created unique challenges in the integration of such technologies into language teaching and learning. Innovative pedagogies and strategies must be developed that adapt to these changes and accommodate future technological changes. Recent Developments in Technology-Enhanced and Computer-Assisted Language Learning is an essential research publication that focuses on technological influences on language education and applications of technology in language learning courses including foreign and second language learning. Featuring an array of topics such as artificial intelligence, teacher preparation, and distance learning, this book is ideal for teachers, language instructors, IT specialists, instructional designers, curriculum developers, researchers, education professionals, academicians, administrators, practitioners, and students.

As technology is being integrated into educational processes, teachers are searching for new ways to enhance student motivation and learning. Through shared experiences and the results of empirical research, educators can ease social networking sites into instructional usage. The Social Classroom: Integrating Social Network Use in Education collates different viewpoints on how social networking sites can be integrated in education. Highlighting both formal and informal uses of social interaction tools as learning tools, this book will be very useful to all educators, trainers and academic researchers in all aspects of education looking for a theoretical/practical approach to resourceful teaching.

The use of technological tools to foster language development has led to advances in language methodologies and changed the approach towards language instruction. The tendency towards developing more autonomous learners has emphasized the need for technological tools that could contribute to this shift in foreign language learning. Computer-assisted language learning and mobile-assisted language learning have greatly collaborated to foster language instruction out of the classroom environment, offering possibilities for distance learning and expanding in-class time. Recent Tools for Computer- and Mobile-Assisted Foreign Language Learning is a scholarly research book that explores current strategies for foreign language learning through the use of technology and introduces new technological tools and evaluates existing ones that foster language development. Highlighting a wide array of topics such as gamification, mobile technologies, and virtual reality, this book is essential for language educators, educational software developers, IT consultants, K-20 institutions, principals, professionals, academicians, researchers, curriculum designers, and students.

In today’s modernized world, digital technology has taken the forefront in all aspects of society, including education. Students have access to numerous electronic devices, which has made online learning materials highly accessible. These technological impacts have blurred the distinction between formal and informal language learning methods. Informally learned English has lost proficiency when assessing student performance. Sizable research is necessary to study and understand the informal methods of language learning using technology. Enhancements and Limitations to ICT-Based Informal Language Learning: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research on the implementation of technological opportunities within informal language teaching methods along with the drawbacks that limit its efficiency. While highlighting topics such as acculturation, student perception, and autonomous applications, this publication explores how learners perform ICT-based activities beyond the classroom and assesses the linguistic gains generated by informal ICT uses. This book is ideally designed for teachers, IT consultants, educational software developers, researchers, policymakers, and academic professionals seeking current research on technological techniques within second language learning and teaching.

Within the rapidly expanding field of educational technology, learners and educators must confront a seemingly overwhelming selection of tools designed to deliver and facilitate both online and blended learning. Many of these tools assume that learning is configured and delivered in closed contexts, through learning management systems (LMS). However, while traditional "classroom" learning is by no means obsolete, networked learning is in the ascendant. A foundational method in online and blended education, as well as the most common means of informal and self-directed learning, networked learning is rapidly becoming the dominant mode of teaching as well as learning. In Teaching Crowds, Dron and Anderson introduce a new model for understanding and exploiting the pedagogical potential of Web-based technologies, one that rests on connections — on networks and collectives — rather than on separations. Recognizing that online learning both demands and affords new models of teaching and learning, the authors show how learners can engage with social media platforms to create an unbounded field of emergent connections. These connections empower learners, allowing them to draw from one another’s expertise to formulate and fulfill their own educational goals. In an increasingly networked world, developing such skills will, they argue, better prepare students to become self-directed, lifelong learners.

Provides a comprehensive and unique examination of global language learning outside of the formal school setting Authored by a prominent team of international experts in their respective fields, The Handbook of Informal Language Learning is a one-of-a-kind reference work and it is a timely and valuable resource for anyone looking to explore informal language learning outside of a formal education environment. It features a comprehensive collection of cutting edge research areas exploring the cultural and historical cases of informal language learning, along with the growing area of digital language learning, and the future of this relevant field in national development and language education. The Handbook of Informal Language Learning examines informal language learning from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Structured across six sections, chapters cover areas of motivation, linguistics, cognition, and multimodality; digital learning, including virtual contexts, gaming, fanfiction, vlogging, mobile devices, and nonformal programs; and media and live contact, including learning through environmental print, tourism/study abroad. The book also provides studies of informal learning in four national contexts, examines the integration of informal and formal classroom learning, and discusses the future of language learning from different perspectives. Edited by respected researchers of computer-mediated communication and second language learning and teacher education Features contributions by leading international scholars reaching out to a global audience Presents an exciting and progressive selection of chapters in a rapidly expanding field of research and teaching Provides a state-of-the-art collection of the theories, as well as the historical, cultural and international cases relating to informal language learning and its future in a digital age Covers 30 key topics that represent pioneering findings and new research The Handbook of Informal Language Learning is an essential resource for researchers, students, and professionals in the fields of language acquisition, English as a second language, and foreign language education.

In the digital era, users from around the world are constantly connected over a global network, where they have the ability to connect, share, and collaborate like never before. To make the most of this new environment, researchers and software developers must understand users’ needs and expectations. Social Media and Networking: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications explores the burgeoning global community made possible by Web 2.0 technologies and a universal, interconnected society. With four volumes of chapters related to digital media, online engagement, and virtual environments, this multi-volume reference is an essential source for software developers, web designers, researchers, students, and IT specialists interested in the growing field of digital media and engagement. This four-volume reference includes various chapters covering topics related to Web 2.0, e-governance, social media activism, internet privacy, digital and virtual communities, e-business, customer relationship management, and more.

The exponential growth and development of modern technologies in all sectors has made it increasingly difficult for students, teachers and teacher educators to know which technologies to employ and how best to take advantage of them. The Routledge Handbook of Language Learning and Technology brings together experts in a number of key areas of development and change, and opens the field of language learning by exploring the pedagogical importance of technological innovation. The handbook is structured around six themes: historical and conceptual contexts core issues interactive and collaborative technologies for language learning corpora and data driven learning gaming and language learning purpose designed language learning resources. Led by fundamental concepts, theories and frameworks from language learning and teaching research rather than by specific technologies, this handbook is the essential reference for all students, teachers and researchers of Language Learning and TESOL. Those working in the areas of Applied Linguistics, Education and Media Studies will also find this a valuable book.