L2 Learners’ Social Networks and Speaking Development in Domestic and Virtual Environments

ABSTRACT Previous studies have investigated L2 learners’ social networks and their effects on L2 development in study‐abroad contexts. This case study extends this line of research in domestic and virtual environments, exploring how learners develop social networks with target‐language speakers in these settings. Survey, interview, and speech performance data were analyzed using qualitative and descriptive statistical methods to examine how advanced college learners of Chinese construct in‐person and virtual target‐language social networks within domestic environments and how these networks relate to their speaking skills. The results revealed a dynamic interplay among the affordances of domestic and virtual contexts, social networks, learner attributes, and L2 development, adding to findings from study‐abroad settings.