言語学講演会　Language learning in informal digital contexts: affordances and limitations

The unstoppable technological dissemination (Internet, mobile phones, apps) is causing significant transformations in language teaching. Nowadays, learners have more options to learn on their own, informally, through leisure activities (video games, fan subbing, music, fanfic), by contacting native speakers or taking advantage of available tools (search engines, translators, assisted writers, artificial intelligence). Teachers also harness these resources to provide more digital materials (multimodal, self-corrective, question consultation, more current or suitable input, etc.), but today we are less relevant than few decades ago. These changes also gradually modify the roles of learner and teacher. The former gains more prominence, autonomy, freedom, and responsibility, while the latter increasingly becomes a tutor, counselor, or supervisor and less of a lecturer or evaluator. Based on real case studies and empirical data (Spaniards who learn Korean by listening to K-pop and watching K-drama; young Chinese who translate and comment with danmu on Hispanic television series; European adults learning Spanish by dancing salsa; teenagers improving their English by playing video games; Hispanic transnational video creators in Douyin), we will reflect on these changes and offer present and future orientations.