Social Media for Social Inclusion: Barriers to Participation in Target-Language Online Communities

Abstract

Many learners, even those studying at universities in regions where the target language is spoken, lack opportunities for meaningful language use outside of the classroom. One avenue for learners to increase authentic target-language communication is online affi nity spaces within social media platforms, where interactions with other users are formed around shared interests rather than personal connections. International students at an arts and media college in the Midwestern United States were asked to read a discussion thread within a social media platform, summarize what they found useful, and respond to preand pos ask questionnaires. The platform used, Reddit, features anonymous user-generated content in a wide range of discussion forums based around specifi c interests and geographic locations. This study used qualitative data to investigate the extent to which international students participate in online communities like these and the factors or barriers that keep them from achieving full participation. The fi ndings are then used to present learner training strategies that can help reduce or remove those barriers, enabling language learners to increase their participation in targetlanguage online communities.