Informal Digital Learning of English ( <scp>IDLE</scp> ) as an Innovative Pedagogy: A Catalyst for Holistic Language Development and Sustainable Global Impact

ABSTRACT Contributions in This Special Issue The contributions to this special issue collectively demonstrate the conceptual breadth, methodological diversity, and global relevance of IDLE as an innovative pedagogy. Across diverse educational and sociocultural contexts, the included studies extend current understandings of IDLE by examining its intersections with learner psychology, digital equity, pedagogy, identity, and emerging forms of AI‐mediated language learning beyond formal classrooms. Rather than reviewing individual articles in detail, this editorial synthesizes the shared intellectual directions that emerge across the collection, highlighting IDLE as a dynamic and context‐sensitive form of learning that both complements and challenges traditional instructional paradigms. Positioning IDLE Within the Sustainable Development Agenda Building on the contributions, this editorial further positions IDLE within the broader framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, it conceptualizes IDLE as a micro‐level, learner‐driven practice with potential macro‐level implications for sustainable development. Through its capacity to foster linguistic competence, digital literacy, and learner agency, IDLE may contribute to advancing key SDG priorities, including equitable access to quality education, social inclusion, and lifelong learning. In this sense, the special issue not only advances scholarship on IDLE but also foregrounds its relevance as a pedagogical and societal resource in addressing global challenges in an increasingly digitalized world.