ELF Communication through Synchronous Video Chats: Hybridity of Language, Culture, and Technology

Jui-min Tsai

《English as a Global Language Education (EaGLE) Journal》 2卷1期 (2016/07) Pp. 27-63

https://doi.org/10.6294/EaGLE.2016.0201.02

摘要

The Internet constitutes a major context for the progressive evolution of intercultural communication in English as a lingua franca (ELF). Nevertheless, our understanding of how ELF speakers interact in cyberspace is limited. This study, drawing on data consisting of 85 conversation extracts from synchronous video chat discussions, investigates how Japanese and Taiwanese university students interact and communicate when they engage in cross-cultural exchanges online. This study reveals that the use of linguistic, pragmatic, cultural, and technological resources constitutes a powerful mechanism allowing interlocutors not only to tackle the obstacles they encounter but also to engage in the interpersonal dynamics of a conversation in a multifaceted fashion; that is, these resources shape and open up modes of interaction as well as fostering communicative success. As shown by the analysis, contextual variables such as educational goals, institutional support, learner identities, and communication technology have mediating effects on the way in which ELF operates. ELF's inherent hybridity, fluidity, and variety account for not only the features of language contact across geographical borders but also for the impacts of the contexts of interaction. The implications of the findings for ELF teaching and learning in the digital world are offered and discussed.

關鍵字

English as a lingua franca ； intercultural communication ； synchronous video chats

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