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Published Version (Advanced Access)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Online commenting culture and ideologies of language learning: Masculinities, optimisation and techno-solutionism in an informal learning community
Applied Linguistics, Vol.Advanced access
2025
Abstract
Networked online spaces have emerged as significant sites for language learning, often celebrated for their democratising and collaborative potential. However, these spaces can also reinforce existing power structures and commodify user engagement. This study investigated a large, English-dominant online community dedicated to learning Japanese, analysing how language learning is discussed and understood. Through Thematic and Critical Discourse Analysis of high-engagement posts, the study reveals that the community subscribes to an ethos of ease, efficiency, and enjoyment, largely motivated by interest in Japanese popular culture. The findings show how techno-masculinisation of language learning practices emerges through the intersection of geek culture, masculinities, and cyberlibertarian ideologies, including techno-solutionism. The community's commenting culture constructs learner subjectivities that prioritise consumption and technical optimisation over social interaction, with authority built through participatory dynamics that emphasise detail, systemisation, and digital technology use. The study underscores the importance of critically examining the ideologies and subjectivities produced in online language learning communities, particularly as they reflect broader shifts toward convenience-driven, consumer-oriented paradigms of learning.
Details
- Title
- Online commenting culture and ideologies of language learning: Masculinities, optimisation and techno-solutionism in an informal learning community
- Authors
- Levi Durbidge (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative IndustriesRenee Barnes (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative IndustriesLiam Edgley (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative Industries
- Publication details
- Applied Linguistics, Vol.Advanced access
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- DOI
- 10.1093/applin/amaf069
- ISSN
- 1477-450X; 0142-6001
- Copyright note
- © The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Business and Creative Industries; Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991167145802621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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