This article expands upon themes addressed in the 2012 CALICO opening plenary that I delivered at the University of Notre Dame. This extended interpretation allows me the opportunity to further explore the nature of participatory human communication and collaboration and offer some clarification of the proposed instructional model for promoting collaborative autonomous language learning abilities. In particular, this article focuses upon the hyper-collaborative participatory culture that has become ubiquitous across the Internet. This collaborative culture has transformed the frequency and manner of our communication with one another as well as the way we co-construct reality. The potential for incorporating the opportunities presented by this participatory culture into language teaching and learning is enormous, but we must recognize and avoid a variety of threats. This article addresses these realities while suggesting ways to promote collaborative autonomous language learning abilities. I discuss the potential for a pedagogical paradigm shift in response to this dramatically altered communication landscape and share some practical suggestions for classroom practice.