Topic orientation markers in asynchronous Internet discussions
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| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Despite the non-simultaneous character of online discussions in message boards, this type of computer-mediated communication has been described as lying in the middle of the continuum between writing and speaking (e.g.Crystal 2001, Herring 2001, Lewis 2005). Individual and at first sight strictly isolated messages are intertwined by a number of linguistic devices, one of them being topic orientation markers as defined by Fraser (2009). Similarly to real-life spoken conversation, written Internet discourse employs this subcategory of pragmatic markers to manage and smooth the low of conversation. In addition to analysing the use of its four subclasses, i.e. return to a prior topic, continuing with the present topic, digression from the present topic and introduction of a new topic, the presentation aims to examine how they help enhance the topic-bound character of several threads comprising a message board dedicated primarily to dieting, parenting and pregnancy. Moreover, the analysis also concentrates on how topic orientation markers function to overcome the obstacles posed by the medium of the Internet itself, such as the lack of paralanguage, often serving as an important turn-allocation means in face-to-face conversation. |