As many linguists have investigated the normal type of conversation face to face conversation in terms of Grice's cooperative principle and its maxims,the present paper aims at giving a rigorous pragmatic account of conversational exchange in internet language of English chat groups. Netspeak and/or internet language can be viewed as a medium of expression combining the properties of spoken, written and electronic discourses.
This paper focuses only on synchronous online conversations in English chat groups. It aims at finding out how the utterances in online communication are uttered by first speaker and responded by the next, in terms of cooperative principle with its maxims, turn-takings and adjacency pairs. As a result, the problem of this study might be formed in terms of the following questions: What are netspeak 'maxims', 'turn-takings' and 'adjacency pairs' in English? Are they violated in synchronous conversations? In order to achieve the aims of this paper and test its hypothesis, Crystal's (2006) Language and the Internet, and Crystal's (2011) Internet Linguistics will be adopted in this study.
Having the hypotheses in hand, this study firstly hypothesizes that Internet Language (henceforth IL) with its maxims, turns and adjacency pairs, are violated in synchronous daily-life conversations. Secondly, an internet utterance does not obey a set of conversational principles– that is all participants are speaking at once which makes the interaction difficult to be followed. In order to achieve the aims of this paper and test its hypothesis, Crystal's (2006) Language and the Internet, and Crystal's (2011) Internet Linguistics will be adopted in this study.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Netspeak
3. Pragmatic Aspects of Netspeak
4. Chatgroups
5. Data Collection
6. Data Analysis and Results
7. Conclusions
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper aims to provide a rigorous pragmatic analysis of conversational exchange within English-language synchronous chat groups. It investigates how Internet Language (IL) deviates from face-to-face communication, specifically focusing on the frequent violations of Grice’s cooperative principle, turn-taking mechanisms, and adjacency pairs due to the unique constraints of the electronic medium.
- Application of Grice's Cooperative Principle and its maxims to online discourse.
- Examination of turn-taking dynamics and the lack of coherence in synchronous chat.
- Analysis of adjacency pair disruptions in multi-participant digital environments.
- The impact of anonymity, time pressure, and technical limitations on conversational structure.
- Categorization of common online behaviors such as "trolling," "lurking," "flaming," and "spamming."
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Flouting a maxim
During the talk exchange, participants do not always follow these maxims. They may flout, violate or opt out a maxim (Grice, 1975:49). If a speaker flouts a maxim, the utterance conveys a conversational implicature or an implied meaning, while a hearer works out of conversational implicatures by taking into account the literal meaning of an utterance, the co-operative principle with its maxims and the contextual factors of the communicative event (Brown and Yule, 1983:32-33).
A flout happens when a speaker fails to observe a maxim of what is said. In this case, the implicature is generated intentinally. So, flouting a maxim causes misleading or deceiving to the hearer and the hearer will look for a meaning which differs from the experssed meaning (Thomas, 1995:65). A speaker flouts the maxim of quantity by giving less or more information than is required. The maxim of quality flouts when the speaker mentions something false in which he/she lacks evidence. The maxim of relation flouts when the response is irrelevant to the topic. The maxim of manner flouts by giving incomplete or ambiguous information (ibid:65-72).
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: Outlines the study's scope regarding netspeak and presents the central research questions concerning the violation of conversational principles in synchronous online settings.
2. Netspeak: Defines the term "netspeak" as a distinct linguistic medium that combines characteristics of speech and writing, shaped significantly by the internet environment.
3. Pragmatic Aspects of Netspeak: Examines the theoretical framework of conversation analysis, focusing on Grice’s cooperative principle, maxims, turn-taking, and adjacency pairs within an online context.
4. Chatgroups: Differentiates between synchronous and asynchronous chat environments and discusses the modalities of typewritten text in real-time communication.
5. Data Collection: Details the methodology for gathering random screenshots from various public English chat rooms to analyze diverse styles and registers of online communication.
6. Data Analysis and Results: Analyzes the collected data to demonstrate how online participants frequently violate conversational maxims, turn-taking rules, and adjacency structures.
7. Conclusions: Summarizes the findings, confirming that online interactions often lack coherence due to anonymity, technical constraints, and the fast-paced, multi-participant nature of chat groups.
Keywords
Netspeak, Internet Language, Turn Taking, Adjacency Pairs, Online Chat Groups, Grice's Cooperative Principle, Conversational Implicature, Synchronous CMC, Flouting a Maxim, Trolling, Lurking, Flaming, Online Discourse, Pragmatics, Coherence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research focuses on providing a pragmatic account of how conversational exchange functions in English-language synchronous chat groups compared to face-to-face interaction.
What are the central themes of the study?
The study centers on the application of Grice's cooperative principle, the mechanics of turn-taking, the structure of adjacency pairs, and how these are influenced by the digital medium.
What is the main research question?
The paper asks what the specific maxims, turn-taking behaviors, and adjacency pairs are in online English chat groups, and whether these are violated during synchronous conversations.
Which methodology is employed in this study?
The study adopts a qualitative approach, collecting and analyzing random screenshots of online English chat room transcripts to categorize conversational behaviors based on pragmatics.
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The body covers the definition of netspeak, pragmatic aspects like the cooperative principle, the nature of chat groups, and a detailed analysis of how conversational maxims are flouted in real-time chat.
Which keywords define this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Netspeak, Turn Taking, Adjacency Pairs, Online Chat Groups, and Grice's Cooperative Principle.
Why does online communication often lack coherence?
Coherence is often lost because of the high number of participants, anonymity, the lack of non-verbal cues, and the fast-scrolling nature of the screen which disrupts the chronological order of interaction.
What role do nicknames play in chat group conversations?
Participants use nicknames as a strategy to address specific individuals and navigate the fragmented, multi-threaded nature of the discourse to avoid confusion.
How does "lurking" affect the maxim of quantity?
Lurking violates the maxim of quantity because the participant remains present in the chat room without contributing information, effectively refusing to participate in the exchange.
- Quote paper
- Salih Mahdi Adai Al-Mamoory (Author), Abdul-Haq Abdul-Kareem Abdullah Al-Sahlani (Author), 2021, Conversational Exchange in English Chat Groups. Pragmatic Aspects and Difficulties of Netspeak, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1041519
