A INFLUÊNCIA DA CULTURA DE FANDOM NA MOTIVAÇÃO PARA APRENDIZAGEM DA LÍNGUA INGLESA

Abstract

Considering the influence of pop culture, this study investigates the role of fandom culture in approaching the English language. Groups of fans, intensely engaged in this culture, use social networks as a means of interaction, communication and building communities around their interests. Therefore, the present work aims to investigate how pop culture and participation in fan communities can be an influencing factor in the motivation for learning the English language, using reports and materials collected online. Exploring interest in artists and series, the study seeks to understand how fandom culture motivates the desire to learn a second language and contributes to its learning. The relevance of this research is given in view of the importance of pop culture, which encompasses fandom culture, and its influence on approaching the English language and learning it. The theoretical support of the work uses concepts developed by Jenkins (2006; 2009; 2015), Gee (2018), Soares (2014) as well as the theories of Krashen (1987) and contributions by Brown (1997) and Gardner (1990) regarding motivation. It also uses the studies of Santaella (2003) in the eyes of Rojo and Moura (2019) on media culture, and the view of Wilkins (1976) under the concepts of learning and acquisition. Finally, based on the concept of Extramural English by Sundqvist (2009) and the studies by Han (2022), the work carries out qualitative research based on the analysis of data collected online, which includes posts and comments on social networks. Therefore, the results found through data analysis reinforce the existence of a relationship between fandom culture and the approach to English and its learning. In summary, this work highlights the connection between pop culture and fans' intrinsic motivation to learn English. By exploring this relationship, this study contributes to the understanding of how cultural interests enrich and transform the experience of learning a foreign language, highlighting the relevance of this phenomenon for the cultural and educational scenario.