Exploiting language affordances in Chinese-mediated intercultural communication
-
Xi Chen
Dr. Xi Chen is a Senior lecturer (Associate Professor) at the University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom. Her research focuses on sociolinguistics, pragmatics, and second language acquisition. She has a particular interest in East Asian languages, including Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Her recent publications appear in the
Journal of Pragmatics, Foreign Language Annals, and Multilingua .
and
Weihua Zhu
Prof. Weihua Zhu is an associate professor of Chinese linguistics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research interests include pragmatics, discourse analysis, and applied linguistics. She has published a book via Routledge and articles in
Journal of Pragmatics, Text & Talk, Pragmatics, Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict, Multilingua, Acta Linguistica Academica, Contrastive Pragmatics, and Language Sciences .
Abstract
In this study, we explore how language affordances are exploited in intercultural communication using the socio-cognitive approach. Based on previous discussions of language affordances, we divide the exploiting practices into three categories, namely, enabling a language affordance, constraining a language affordance, and presenting multiple language affordances. Data were collected from 16 roundtable discussions that took place over four seasons of a Chinese TV program. Each roundtable discussion involved four L1 Chinese speakers and eleven L2 Chinese speakers. The L2 speakers are multilingual, frequently speaking more than one language, including English. A quantitative analysis of the data reveals a collective pattern in the participants’ exploitation of language affordances, that is, they tend to activate more core common-ground knowledge than the knowledge of emergent common ground. In addition, they are inclined to construct multicultural common ground, which they actively align themselves with. Their awareness of communicative goals and self-identification as competent multilingual speakers also influence their choice of language affordances.
About the authors
Dr. Xi Chen is a Senior lecturer (Associate Professor) at the University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom. Her research focuses on sociolinguistics, pragmatics, and second language acquisition. She has a particular interest in East Asian languages, including Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Her recent publications appear in the Journal of Pragmatics, Foreign Language Annals, and Multilingua.
Prof. Weihua Zhu is an associate professor of Chinese linguistics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research interests include pragmatics, discourse analysis, and applied linguistics. She has published a book via Routledge and articles in Journal of Pragmatics, Text & Talk, Pragmatics, Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict, Multilingua, Acta Linguistica Academica, Contrastive Pragmatics, and Language Sciences.
Transcription conventions (adapted from Ochs et al. 1996: 461–465)
| [ | The point at which overlapping talk startsds |
| ] | The point at which overlapping talk ends |
| = | Contiguous utterances after an interruption |
| (.) | Short pause |
| … | Omitted part |
| word | Stress or emphasis indicated by loudness or high pitch |
| <> | Slow talk |
| (hh) | Laughter |
| (word) | Bodily movement |
| ( ) | Indistinct/inaudible part |
| ((word)) | Transcriber’s remark |
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© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Research Articles
- “Irony is easy to understand ”: The role of emoji in irony detection
- Exploiting language affordances in Chinese-mediated intercultural communication
- From lack of understanding to heightened engagement: A multimodal study of Hebrew ′ATA LO MEVIN ‘You don’t understand’
- Forum
- Interpersonal strategies in international business emails: The intercultural pragmatics perspective
- Book Reviews
- Naoko Taguchi: The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Pragmatics
- Kate Scott: Referring Expressions, Pragmatics, and Style: Reference and Beyond
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Research Articles
- “Irony is easy to understand ”: The role of emoji in irony detection
- Exploiting language affordances in Chinese-mediated intercultural communication
- From lack of understanding to heightened engagement: A multimodal study of Hebrew ′ATA LO MEVIN ‘You don’t understand’
- Forum
- Interpersonal strategies in international business emails: The intercultural pragmatics perspective
- Book Reviews
- Naoko Taguchi: The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Pragmatics
- Kate Scott: Referring Expressions, Pragmatics, and Style: Reference and Beyond
