Unveiling hidden opportunities: a case study on the perception of affordances in informal english learning activities mediated by technology in a fl teacher-training program

This qualitative single-case study explored the perceived affordances of informal activity systems mediated  by online technologies for promoting English language learning among 115 FL teachers-in-training at UNAD. 
The study employed a word-based questionnaire administered to the entire sample, followed by small focus  group interviews with 20 purposively selected participants, (Morgan & Hoffman, 2018). The resulting data were  analyzed using a dynamic and fluid 2-cycle coding procedure. The findings show that learners’ ability to perceive and engage with technological, social, metacognitive, and language learning affordances significantly  influences their engagement with technology-mediated activities and their level of success in acquiring a foreign language. Notably, perceiving physical affordances serves as a prerequisite for perceiving more complex  affordances, such as educational and social ones. This research significantly contributes to the advancement of knowledge regarding informal English learning mediated by online technologies, with a particular focus on  distance education models. The study highlights the importance of fostering learners’ autonomous learning  skills, given that most of the language learning in such models occurs in informal settings, and it discusses the  need to leverage online resources to maximize language FL affordances for FL teachers-in-training, ultimately  enhancing their language learning outcomes