There are many language learning websites and apps marketed directly to consumers for autonomous language study, yet we lack standards by which to evaluate these learning platforms’ worth. This presentation will present a set of evaluative criteria for considering the linguistic merit of autonomous language learning products.
There has been a marked increase in the number of language learning websites and apps marketed directly to consumers for autonomous language study. The spread of mobile device use has aided these platforms in becoming prevalent, yet the field of language education has not caught up with the trend quickly enough to provide standards by which to effectively evaluate these learning platforms. At the same time, the field of cognitive linguistics has developed to a point that methodological considerations can be gleaned from its findings. This presentation has as its goal the presentation of a set of evaluative criteria based on cognitive linguistics by which autonomous online language learning platforms can be measured. By applying these criteria to a sample of language learning products, a series of recommendations have been developed towards an ideal autonomous online learning environment. These recommendations stem from: the treatment of language as constructions, the organization of meaning by radial categories including metaphorical and idiomatic meaning, the highlighting of nuanced differences between first and second language, the role of authenticity in materials, and the importance of interactions for construction of meaning. These theoretical points are exemplified through existing product features of a handful of language learning platforms.
