Politeness In Computer-Mediated Discourse of a Virtual Team

2001

This paper reports from an experimental study of cooperative work in a collaborative virtual environment (CVE) with sixty test subjects. A method from social psychology, interaction process analysis (IPA), was used for analyzing group dynamics within the CVE in relation to three communicative modes: text-chat, voice, and video conferencing. The study investigated how the communicative mode influenced the quality of the social interaction and how cooperative work in a CVE could be analyzed by using categories of social interaction. It was found that the frequencies of utterances in the voice and video conferencing conditions were significantly larger than in the text-chat condition. The dialogue of the text-chat condition was found to be more task oriented than the dialogues of the voice and video conferencing condition. The social psychological method used was not developed for use within CVE:s, but it was found to work well since the scope of the IPA method is broad and applicable to virtually any small group.

International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation

This paper examines the politeness theory in the light of Austin & Searle’s speech act theory as reflected in CMC between students and their lecturers or supervisors. Thus politeness aspects were analyzed as enacted in the five categories such as: Assertives, commisives, directives, expressives, and declaratives. The paper also examined politeness in other language aspects that are usually present in any form of communication, such as: Address phrases, meeting requests, request for reply, and adjunct phrases. The objective of this article was to shed light on the politeness strategies employed by the lecturers and students in their e-communication through Whatsapp and SMS (short messages or text messages) platforms. Fifty communications were downloaded from the lecturers’ phones through their permission and the students’, which were used as data for this study. Five lecturers and seven postgraduate students made the population of this study. The findings indicated that students seem...

Dialogos, 2009

How is the Interpersonal Relationship Constructed Through Interaction？ Miyuki Takenoya The present study explores how individua］s relate to each other ill computer-mediated communication(CMC)． Parti四larly、 the communication through postillgs on a bulletin board system(BBS)for the buyers of real estate was chosen for the analysis because this type of communication has been changing dra由cally by the development of the IntemeしOn thi．s arena of coInnlunicatiol1、 prospective buyers of condominiums were encouraged to exchange information and opinions on the properties they were hlterested in． Employing the f1'amework of speech act theory(Austh11962． Searle l969)with an interactive perspective(Sch▲ffrill 1994

2000

The paper discusses the verbal and nonverbal communication during a videorecorded meeting between two physically separate teams as part of a 9 month multi-site construction project. In the extract analysed here, the team which was video-recorded contained three members and the project coordinator, whereas the remote team contained a single individual. Communication between the two teams was by means of telephone and shared computer meeting system. The video-recorded team used nonverbal communication on the dimensions of mimickry, embarrassment, emphasis, recognition, commitment, agreement, understanding, promise, orientation, and humour when communicating within the team, dimensions which were of necessity absent in communication with remote partners. The videorecorded team and the remote team differed markedly along four dimensions of visibility. The given-versus-new dimension influences the team ability to respond to changing circumstances. The ideal-versus-real represents the degree to which partners focus on general or alternatively particular aspects of the communicative situation. The centre-versus-periphery refers to the degree to which communication contains meanings associated with hierarchy and authority or alternatively with pluralism and empowerment. The social-versus-task is focused on the purpose of communication which may be predominantly aimed at solving a problem or alternatively aimed at creating social cohesion and team spirit. Compared to the lengthy and communicatively rich contributions within the video-recorded team, which emphasised the given, ideal, centre, and social dimensions of communication, the communications between the two teams, that were mediated by technology, emphasised the new, real, periphery and task dimensions of communication.

Language Learning & Technology, 2019

In this paper we explore and identify emerging patterns of synchronous digital discourse trajectories between dyads of native (NS) and non-native speakers (NNS), with a particular focus on (absence of) negotiated interaction. We will present a new model of L2 learning interaction that is a schematic representation of two main types of hearer response that have been found after a trigger of nonunderstanding: Task-appropriate response (TAR) and face-appropriate response (FAR). In addition, we outline five different discourse trajectories. The model we propose is based on data derived from interactive task performances of groups of Dutch and Australian students in two telecollaboration projects. The discourse trajectories represented in our model provide us with useful insights into the complexities of digital interaction in an L2-learning environment and show that NNS-NS communication is more complex than traditional negotiation of meaning models suggest. We expect our model to contribute to a better understanding of L2 learning processes related to interaction in digital settings.

Computers are widely believed to be "artificial" models of "natural" human intelligence. "AI" and the related field of cognitive science have received a great deal of study in recent years. The entry of the computer into the field of communications suggests another interesting metaphor which may also prove useful. Instead of considering the computer as a model of the mind, one could look at computer mediated communication systems as "artificial" models of the "natural" communication systems in which we are accustomed to participate. The interesting feature of "AC" is not the use of computer hardware, but the conscious construction of programs and conventions by which to simulate familiar communication systems, and to make possible new systems not previously conceived. This discussion will explore the implications of artificial communication in the case of computer conferencing, a particularly revealing application of computers to human communications. Computer conferencing is a sophisticated kind of electronic mail system employed to facilitate group discussion over a computer network. The technology makes it possible to define private groups, usually no larger than 50, with access to a topically defined discussion forum. Messages typed by members of the group at their own computer terminals are transmitted over phone lines to a central computer where they are classified and stored. Participants can "sign on" at times of their own convenience, using the central computer as a "meeting place" for an "asynchronous" conversation that may last weeks or months.

Based on close examinations of instant message (IM) interactions, this chapter argues that an inter- actional sociolinguistic approach to computer-mediated language use could provide explanations for phenomena that previously could not be accounted for in computer-mediated discourse analysis (CMDA). Drawing on the theoretical framework of relational work (Locher, 2006), the analysis focuses on non-task oriented talk and its function in forming and establishing communication norms in the team, as well as micro-level phenomena, such as hesitation, backchannel signals and emoticons. The conclusions of this preliminary research suggest that the linguistic strategies used for substituting audio-visual signals are strategically used in discursive functions and have an important role in relational work.

This simple opinionated review paper is about digital humanities and politeness, on proposing a guideline for text interactions in the virtual world. Theories on digital humanities, civil discourse, text interactions, politeness, social media, public space, and social harmony are presented, and then outlines and standpoints are pointed out. Based on the outlines and standpoints, a guideline for text interactions is elaborated, inductively summed up, and proposed for the open society in the virtual world. The text interactions here are pragmatically viewed, i.e. how politeness should be maintained rather than camaraderie, as a common weapon for creating a social harmony in the public space of the virtual world. The proposed guideline is of three main hints: (1) Consider your surroundings, (2) Consider your physical and mental performance, (3) Consider the words and images you will have left unforgotten, and probably, unforgiven. This guideline is, however, optional, not obligatory, for those who would like to maintain a good relationship towards social harmony among netizens in the open virtual world.

Intercultural Communicative Competence for Global Citizenship, 2018

This chapter provides a systematic analysis of the results derived from the analysis of the exchanges on the asynchronous discussion forums linked to the tasks designed for the telecollaborative CoCo project. Brown and Levinson's (Politeness: Some universals in language usage, Cambridge University Press, 1987) and Leech's (The pragmatics of politeness, Oxford University Press, 2014) linguistic politeness frameworks were applied to the three online exchanges students engages with and were used to identify patterns of linguistic behaviour such as type and frequency of politeness strategy/maxim.