How do you say…? A critical discourse analysis of intercultural language learning in wordreference.com Elizabeth Deifell Akiko Hagiwara University of Iowa Language Learning in Computer Mediated Communities NFLRC University of Hawaii October 11-13, 2009

Outline I. Language Learning, Culture(s) and Power II. Language Learning Community III. Wordreference.com IV. Quantitative Approach V. Qualitative Approach VI. Findings

Language Learning, Culture(s) and Power Kramsch and Whiteside (2007) Showstack (2009)

Language Learning Community Language Learning=Language Use Multilingual Cross-Cultural Shifting identities Power relations

Wordreference.com Provides cyber online dictionaries and forums Topics of forums: translation, word usage, terminology equivalency and other linguistic topics Must register and agree to the rules of participation before being able to post

Members Moderator There were around 50 moderators Invited by the administrator Each has authority to - Merge or delete duplicate posts and threads; - Edit posts as necessary; - Ban members, when necessary Senior member (more than ?? posts) Member (more than 30 posts) Junior member (1 post or more)

The Study Research Questions 1.What are rhetorical strategies members employ? 2.How do members create and refute authority while explaining the meaning of words? Mixed Methodologies: Quantitative and qualitative approaches

Computer-Mediated Discourse Analysis Food related topics Data Collection – 10 topics from Spanish and Japanese forums

Functional moves categories (Adapted from Paulus & Phipps, 2008) FactualParticipatoryReflectiveLearn AskGreet/Close/JokeAgreeLearn Support/extend ( examples; reasons ) NameDisagree (restatement of others post) AnswerAcknowledge/ Encourage Challenge (asking Qs. e.g. Is that true? ) Claim (no connection to the prior post) Invite/MitigateRespond to challenge Restate Transition/temporal (Directing the conversation to a previous post) Emotion

Examples of functional moves Are you sure X means Y? Perhaps its not advisable to use it as the Japanese translation for sake. For disambiguation, use nihonshu. I found that people do use as an independent noun. It seems to be a terminology in cooking. Challenge Disagree Learn

Functional moves

Subcategory: Factual

Subcategory: Participatory

Claiming authority categories Dictionary (cyber and hardcopy) Textual citations from other sites (e.g. Wikipedia, Hyperlinks to other websites) Textbook Reference to Wordreference (inter reference) Photos Linguistic knowledge (e.g., use of Latin (the root of Spanish) Witness (e.g., I saw… Ive never heard... Claim without authority

Examples of claiming authority (chi) originally means "to ride a horse" and (sou) "to run", in other words, "to ride to a market and buy best food to prepare excellent cuisine." If someone invites you, is a mandatory social protocol. One may tell this to the restaurant staff if the food is really good. Linguistic knowledge Claim without authority

Claiming Authority

Qualitative

Critical Discourse Analysis Power Legitimacy Authority

Critical Discourse Analysis Fairclough (1989, 1992) Explores link between language and social practice Empirical approach to discourse analysis

Three level approach to CDA Textual Discursive Sociocultural

Findings Questions of legitimacy are complex in asynchronous multilingual, multicultural language communities. Particularity (Ellis, 2005). Linking local to global. Fractal metaphor (Agar, 2005).

The majority of the participants do not cite an outside text to support their claims of legitimacy. A closer look at those claims that we deemed claims without authority in fact challenge authority in perhaps more subtle ways.

What is(are) the right answer(s)?