ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the multilingual online practices of students at an Open Distance eLearning university and explores the interface between language use in online education and computer-mediated communication (CMC). Language ideologies and norms that underpin language use in CMC are described, and the multiple communicative resources drawn on by the discussants to fulfill sociolinguistic functions and educational goals in the course are explored. Data drawn from online discussion forums (ODFs) were harvested over one semester in 2018. The chapter uses computer-mediated discourse analysis (CMDA) and interactional analysis to analyze heteroglossia and style in the ODFs in an English for Academic Purposes course. A key finding is that languaging in CMC reveals situated digital literacy styles that are contrary to policies and norms. The chapter seeks to contribute to the growing theorization of fluidity and heterogeneity in language use in CMC from the Global South.
