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Article published In: Dialogic Dimensions of the Digital
Edited by Răzvan Săftoiu
[Language and Dialogue 16:1] 2026
► pp. 49–73

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English TikTok videos: ‘short lessons’ or just waffle?

An analysis of the ‘comments’ section

 | Pompeu Fabra University
 | Pompeu Fabra University
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

Open Access publication of this article was funded through a Transformative Agreement with Universitat Pompeu Fabra.

Published online: 29 September 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/ld.00212.gam
Abstract
The number of people using social networks to learn languages is constantly increasing. Although TikTok is one of the most popular social networks, little research has been conducted on its use for language learning. Our study examines a corpus of English pronunciation videos to explore the relationship between this platform and language learning. Specifically, we aim to determine whether interactions in the comment section are focused on learning or primarily social in nature. We analyzed 750 comments using an adaptation of the Interaction Analysis Model (IAM) developed by Gunawardena, Charlotte N., Constance A. Lowe, and Terry Anderson. 1997. “Analysis of a Global Online Debate and the Development of an Interaction Analysis Model for Examining Social Construction of Knowledge in Computer Conferencing.” Journal of Educational Computing Research 17(4): 397–431. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar. Our results indicate that users discuss pronunciation and other aspects of English linguistic competence, with the most frequent phases involving information sharing and socialization.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.TikTok for learning additional languages
  • 3.Interaction in online environments
  • 4.Models for analyzing interaction online
  • 5.Method
  • 6.Data collection
  • 7.Findings
    • 7.1Focus on pronunciation
    • 7.2Evidence of learning: TikTok as a learning tool
    • 7.3Building knowledge
  • 8.Discussion and conclusion
    • 8.1Limitations and future directions
  • Note
  • References
References (82)
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