ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces ethnographic approaches to researching language on social media. We use the word “approaches” in the plural because there are a number of ways in which ethnography can be used in the study of social media. The chapter provides a general backdrop to ethnographic approaches and their relevance for language use in social media contexts. One defining characteristic of an ethnographic approach to language and social media is that it is interested in locating particular instances of language use in the broader cultural context. The focus on lived experience means that it is important to see people's perspectives in any situation and to provide an insider's view. It can be revealing to locate ethnographic approaches in the broader research traditions. For instance, the ways of focusing on practices used here can be adopted as methods appropriate in the classroom at all levels of education.
