Date of Award

1-1-2014

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Education Theory and Practice

Program

Curriculum and Instruction

Content Description

1 online resource (xii, 193 pages) : color illustrations

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Istvan Kecskes

Committee Members

George A. Broadwell, Alandeom W. Oliveira

Keywords

Conceptual fluency, Discursive leadership, non-native speakers, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, task-based, English language, Group work in education, Electronic discussion groups, Conversation analysis, Communication and technology

Subject Categories

Anthropological Linguistics and Sociolinguistics | Education | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research

Abstract

Much research has examined how different patterns of social interaction shape language learners' interactional roles (e.g., collaborative, dominant, passive) in peer-to-peer conversations. However, little or no research has investigated the co-construction of such roles in multiparty, online task-based dialogues within the framework of discursive leadership. For the purpose of this study, discursive leadership is defined as the ability of the interlocutors to (a) shape the discourse via topic introductions and subsequent topic mentions and (b) manage the process of the task through the use of a series of task-oriented speech acts such as directives and assertions. Using a multi-method approach to the computational and quantitative sociolinguistic analysis of online discourse, this study explores the ways in which advanced non-native English speakers (NNESs) differ from native English speakers (NESs) in their attempts to exert discursive leadership in online task-based dialogues.

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