Exploring the Potential of Memes in Language Teaching: Enhancing Pragmatic Skills and Embracing Informal Learning

The aim of this study is to propose a reflection on the use of memes in second language teaching to enhance pragmatic skills and introduce informal learning practices in classrooms. The pervasiveness of digital and online platforms has transformed many social practices, including forms of communication. Being attentive to these transformations is essential for educators as learning is a form of social practice influenced by social interactions and cultural contexts [1]. It is important to consider that spontaneous learning increasingly occurs in online environments, where new learners acquire digital literacies, which are "social practices, that is, ways in which people draw on and use material meaning-making resources in particular social, cultural, and economic contexts" [2]. In these circumstances, it is not only the online content that is relevant, but also how users interact with it. Online spontaneous learning often takes the form of collaborative and interactive practices within communities, and it is necessary for educators to observe how these practices emerge and try to reproduce them in classrooms. The possibility of using these resources and integrating authentic digital communication practices in classrooms can blur the boundaries between formal and informal learning, making teaching more effective. Within this framework, we propose a reflection on the potential of using memes in educational practice. Defined by Shifman [3] as "a group of digital items sharing common characteristics of content, form, and/or stance, which were created with awareness of each other, and were circulated, imitated, and/or transformed via the internet by many users," memes are pervasive elements in digital communication, especially among young people. As multimodal elements, often taking the form of image macros (a visual image with superimposed textual elements), their interpretation involves different cognitive resources, not just linguistic ones. Moreover, they often have cultural implications, as they are created in response to significant events or use culturally recognizable elements (such as movie scenes, etc.). Therefore, to fully understand and grasp their often-ironic intent, familiarity with the cultural context of reference is necessary. Furthermore, the use of memes in online communication is an active practice that involves "engaging in a playful process of collaborative interaction to generate online humor," as they are continuously reproduced, adapted, and recontextualized [4]. In conclusion, incorporating memes in teaching practices can foster cross-cutting pragmatic skills applicable to various communication contexts. Furthermore, memes can facilitate specific language exercises through wordplay and idiomatic constructions. Ultimately, the integration of memes in education blurs the line between formal and informal learning, offering long-term advantages for language acquisition.