Netnography and digital ethnographic approaches

Abstract The notion of what constitutes the language classroom has developed over time, to the point where applied linguists have increasingly investigated the impact of out-of-class exposure on the traditional bricks-and-mortar classroom. Of particular interest is the digital classroom, and traditional classroom ethnographies have also made this digital migration. Building on these recent developments, in this chapter we discuss how ethnographic tools have to be modified across digital spaces to better understand the complexities surrounding evolving classroom cultures and other applied linguistics contexts. We draw on insights from one particular brand of ethnography, netnography. Specifically, we describe the netnography research process, provide examples of netnographies, and discuss ethical dilemmas that often emerge in netnographic research. The chapter closes with suggestions for the future, in light of the growing influence of generative artificial intelligence on language education and the need for research on underrepresented populations.