Review of Livemocha (Product/Service Evaluation‪)‬

Livemocha's founder, Shirish Nadkarni, had the idea of a social networking site (SNS) for learning languages while on a trip to Spain with his children (Schmidt, 2009). He watched as his teenage children, after years of studying Spanish in formal settings, were not able to engage in basic conversations with native speakers and would instead log on to social network sites upon returning to the hotel room. Against this backdrop, the concept of taking advantage of online social networks to facilitate practical language learning was born. In Livemocha's language exchange model, learners are linked voluntarily with native speakers of their target language via Web 2.0 technologies. The platform encourages users to interact and speak with one another in order to practice language skills, while fostering an environment of sharing and reciprocation. Livemocha intends to make language learning more accessible and effective, especially for people who cannot afford classroom instruction or to immerse themselves in a foreign country through extended stays or travel. Livemocha prides itself on being one of the most advanced systems in terms of social learning and the largest online learning site in the world. The number of registered Livemocha users is growing very rapidly. In February 2009, it had an estimated 350,000 users from over 200 countries (Harigunami, 2008). In 2010, its members have exceeded 6 million and it offers the learning of over 35 languages online (http://www.livemocha.com/ learn-english). Despite its popularity, very few reviews or studies have been conducted to look into if or how the system is living up to its ambition. This review, in addition to introducing its general features, critically delves into its usability, learning materials, and functionality of assisting language learning (1) to provide language educators and learners with helpful information to understand the strengths and weakness of the system and ways to take advantage of its affordances.