ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the possibilities that Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can offer for specialized language learning and the acquisition of vocabulary. It is widely accepted that vocabulary is an essential component of language teaching and learning (Perea-Barberá & Bocanegra-Valle, 2014; Schmitt, 2010) and it has attracted the attention of practitioners and researchers involved in technology-enhanced language learning, trying to make it a more interactive process in online tuition (Stockwell, 2007). MOOCs, the latest model of online education, are under constant revision in their endeavour to cater for the specific needs of the various disciplines offered. Languages, as stated further on in this chapter, are one of the most complex fields to adapt to the MOOC format, due to their skill-based nature. This piece of research looks at the defining features of language instruction when linked to social learning in online contexts, and provides an insight into possible configurations of MOOC courses in specialized linguistic domains so that they can reinforce vocabulary acquisition, a pivotal aspect in the language learning scenario.
