Learners’ Participation in Informal Japanese-English Internet Chat

It has been widely claimed that computer mediated communication offers unique opportunities for language learners, including the ability to take on the roles of ‘writer’ and ‘reader’, ‘teacher’ and ‘learner’. Hence, it is important for teachers and learners to be aware of not only the linguistic and interactional characteristics of especially bilingual chat, but also how participants in an intercultural setting may switch between roles. Learning about one’s second language from a peer, and in turn, teaching that peer about one’s native language may allow both participants opportunities to develop as language experts. This article utilises naturalistic bilingual chat data and follow-up interviews to examine the implications of these findings for learners, teachers and researchers.