Online commenting culture and ideologies of language learning: Masculinities, optimisation and techno-solutionism in an informal learning community

Levi Durbidge; Renee Barnes; Liam Edgley

doi:10.1093/applin/amaf069

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Online commenting culture and ideologies of language learning: Masculinities, optimisation and techno-solutionism in an informal learning community

Journal article

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Online commenting culture and ideologies of language learning: Masculinities, optimisation and techno-solutionism in an informal learning community

Levi Durbidge, Renee Barnes and Liam Edgley

Applied Linguistics, Vol.Advanced access

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amaf069

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Abstract

Linguistics

Language studies

Communication

Learner and learning

Expanding knowledge in language, communication and culture

language learning

social media

language politics

Japanese

critical discourse analysis

identity

language and technology

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 Industries
Renee Barnes (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative Industries
Liam 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
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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