Aprendizagem de inglês em comunidades de fãs online : uma análise da plataforma Archive of our own a partir da Teoria da autodeterminação

Abstract

This study investigates how participation in Archive of Our Own (AO3), through reading, writing, and interacting with fanfiction and other users, can foster informal learning and English language skill development among participants. The research is based on the understanding that language learning can occur in informal contexts driven by learners' personal interests; and it is guided by Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000), seeking to understand how such participation can satisfy the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Employing a qualitative-documentary, and exploratory approach, the study analyzes public interactions (comments and author’s notes) from seven fanfiction stories published on AO3 by non-native English-speaking authors, selected based on tags indicating this status. The results demonstrate that the platform provides a space for meaningful, contextualized language practice, where users indicate satisfying their need for autonomy by directing their own learning process, for competence through feedback received from other participants, and for relatedness through supportive relationships and a sense of identification within the community. The study concludes that there are indications that these three needs are consistently met, sustaining users' intrinsic motivation to use and improve their English skills; this reinforces the pedagogical potential of virtual spaces/communities like AO3, as well as the importance of schools engaging with the informal contexts in which students construct knowledge.