New media, new communicative genres and inclusive technology-mediated L2 pedagogy: A conversation with Steve Thorne

Abstract

Professor Steve Thorne is well-known for his work on second and foreign language development and Internet-mediated communicative activity. He is identified with the study of language use, communication dynamics and technology-mediated foreign, second, and plurilingual language learning, occurring within and outside of formal educational settings. His work draws on sociocultural and cultural-historical approaches to language development and he is particularly interested in multiplayer online gaming environments, the "cultures of use" of Internet communication tools, and intercultural communication. Professor Thorne is currently a faculty member in the Department of World Languages and Literatures at Portland State University in the United States and the Department of Applied Linguistics at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. The following interview took place in April 2011 on the occasion of the EUROCALL CMC & Teacher Education SIGs Annual Workshop in Barcelona, in which Professor Thorne was the keynote speaker.