"Small Talk Is Not Cheap": Phatic Computer-Mediated Communication in Intercultural Classes

Autor/in	Maíz-Arévalo, Carmen
Titel	"Small Talk Is Not Cheap": Phatic Computer-Mediated Communication in Intercultural Classes
Quelle	In: Computer Assisted Language Learning, 30 (2017) 5, S.432-446 (15 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Maíz-Arévalo, Carmen)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0958-8221
DOI	10.1080/09588221.2017.1304423
Schlagwörter	Computer Mediated Communication; Social Media; Intercultural Communication; Graduate Students; Masters Programs; Discourse Analysis; Official Languages; English (Second Language); Cooperative Learning + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Computerkonferenz; Soziale Medien; Interkulturelle Kommunikation; Graduate Study; Student; Students; Aufbaustudium; Graduiertenstudium; Hauptstudium; Studentin; Magister course; Magisterstudiengang; Diskursanalyse; Office language; Amtssprache; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Kooperatives Lernen
Abstract	The present study aims to analyse the phatic exchanges performed by a class of nine intercultural Master's students during a collaborative assignment which demanded online discussion using English as a lingua franca (ELF). Prior studies on the use of phatic communication in computer-mediated communication have concentrated on social networking sites or micro-blogging (mostly Facebook or Twitter). Educational online tools, like the present e-forum, have received much less attention. Initially, I intended to answer three research questions: (i) Is phatic talk used in a transactional task? If so, what function(s) does it perform?, (ii) Is phatic talk affected by being computer-mediated rather than face-to-face? If so, in what ways? and (iii) How may an intercultural setting affect computer-mediated phatic talk? Results are preliminary but show that, despite the transactional character of the task, the students paid close attention to phatic communication as an essential way to build rapport and foster their collaboration as a group. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01