Abstract of

Access and Affiliation: The Literacy and Composition Practices of English-Language Learners in an Online Fanfiction Community

Rebecca W. Black

Online fanfiction communities provide adolescent English-language learners (ELLs) with a forum for engaging in an array of sophisticated literacy practices. This article draws on constructs from literacy studies and second-language acquisition as conceptual bases for exploring the writing, reviewing, and social practices in an online fanfiction community. Analyses focus on how the networked structure of such sites facilitates English-language learning and promotes writing by providing ELLs with access to a broad audience of readers and multiple community writing resources. By highlighting the social and interactive nature of writing in this space, connections among language, literacy, and identity are emphasized. In conclusion, the author explores some of the possibilities that networked computer environments offer for developing authentic, interactive writing activities in the classroom.

Abstract from Black, R.W. (2005, October). Access and Affiliation: The Literacy and Composition Practices of English-Language Learners in an Online Fanfiction Community. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 49(2), 118–128. doi: 10.1598/JAAL.49.2.4