Elizabeth Deifell Akiko Hagiwara University of Iowa

1. 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 Hawai’i October 11-13, 2009

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

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

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

5. 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

7. 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)

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

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

10. Functional moves categories (Adapted from Paulus & Phipps, 2008)

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

12. Functional moves

13. Subcategory: Factual

14. Subcategory: Participatory

15. Claiming authority categories

16. Examples of “claiming authority” • 馳(chi) originally means "to ride a horse" and 走 (sou) "to run", in other words, "to ride to a market and buy best food to prepare excellent cuisine." • If someone invites you, ごちそうさまでした is a mandatory social protocol. One may tell this to the restaurant staff if the food is really good. Linguistic knowledge Claim without authority

17. Claiming Authority

18. Qualitative

19. Critical Discourse Analysis • Power • Legitimacy • Authority

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

21. Three level approach to CDA • Textual • Discursive • Sociocultural

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

23. 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.

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