Young people around the world are increasingly able to access English language media online for leisure purposes and interact with other users of English. This book examines the extent of these phenomena, their effect on language acquisition and their implications for the teaching of English in the 21st century.

Geoffrey Sockett is Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics at Paris Descartes University in France. He has published articles and spoken at international conferences in the fields of second language acquisition and computer assisted language learning. The current focus of his research is how English may be learned informally through exposure to online media.

1. Introduction 2. Informal Learning and Languages 3. The Practices of Online Informal Learning of English 4. Language Acquisition From Online Informal Learning Activities 5. The Theoretical Implications of OILE 6. OILE and the Classroom 7. Studying OILE: Research Methodologies and Perspectives 8. Conclusions ?