Collaborative learning in virtual communities of practice mediated by social networks

<jats:p>Knowledge generation for foreign language learning requires procedures that facilitate interaction and the development of communicative competence. In this sense, collaborative work in technology-mediated virtual communities of practice can contribute to this development, especially in virtual environments. The objective of this research is to describe collaborative work in virtual communities through social networks. The study followed a quantitative, cross-sectional, and descriptive approach in a sample of 80 students enrolled in academic communities on WhatsApp. The results identified patterns of collaboration in virtual learning environments based on interaction and active participation in task resolution. The dimensions with the highest percentages were the co-construction of knowledge and peer feedback. This led to the conclusion that social networks are communities where there is linguistic exchange with academic support for the negotiation of meaning.</jats:p>