As a linguist, I am fascinated by the acquisition, processing and use of formulaic language by first (L1) and second language (L2) learners of English. Formulaic language is key to the achievement of nativelike proficiency in the L2. Yet, mastery of it challenges even advanced level L2 learners. To tackle the problems with L2 formulaic language acquisition, I have been conducting controlled experiments and corpus analyses. My thesis is that spoken input and natural speech prosody play fundamental roles in both L1 and L2 formulaic language acquisition. Written input dominates in many English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) syllabi, but spoken input may be more conducive to formulaic language acquisition. I believe that internet television and social media are great resources for maximising L2 learners’ exposure to spoken input. Therefore, I have been developing intelligent computer software programs which can facilitate formulaic language acquisition through the viewing of social media. The programs match L2 learners with YouTube videos that suit their L2 competence and auto-generate exercises based on the videos to facilitate formulaic language acquisition.