Multimodal interactive alignment: Language learners’ interaction in CMC tasks through Instagram
Technological advancement has enabled language learners to employ verbal and nonverbal cues in computer-mediated communication (CMC). These cues can support language use for learners wishing to communicate more effectively in English. Interactive alignment is one phenomenon that shows how humans...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
University of Hawaii
2024
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10125/73563 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/94984 |
| _version_ | 1848765953205075968 |
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| author | Muntaha, Muntaha Chen, Julian Dobinson, Toni |
| author_facet | Muntaha, Muntaha Chen, Julian Dobinson, Toni |
| author_sort | Muntaha, Muntaha |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Technological advancement has enabled language learners to employ verbal and nonverbal cues in
computer-mediated communication (CMC). These cues can support language use for learners wishing to
communicate more effectively in English. Interactive alignment is one phenomenon that shows how humans
tend to collaborate in their language use by adapting, priming, and reusing verbal and nonverbal cues to
achieve mutual understanding. Informed by a sociocognitive framework, this study explored and
documented English language learners’ multimodal interactive alignment during their CMC task
engagement through Instagram. We collected data from 30 first-year Indonesian business school learners
who participated in seven online CMC tasks using Instagram chat features: text chat, voice chat, and video
chat. To examine various interactive alignments (e.g., how interlocutors adapt, prime, and reuse verbal
and nonverbal cues to achieve mutual understanding) that occurred during multimodal task
communication, we employed multimodal (inter)action analysis. Findings revealed that learners adapted
and reused various nonverbal features (e.g., emojis, GIFs, facial expressions, gestures) and verbal cues
(e.g., expression, lexical) to convey and comprehend meaning during CMC task completion. Caveats about
using various nonverbal alignment patterns for supporting better English online communication were also
noted. The study highlights how language learners use the full repertoire of semiotic resources in CMC to
maximize their online language learning. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:43:26Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-94984 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:43:26Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | University of Hawaii |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-949842024-05-24T09:07:46Z Multimodal interactive alignment: Language learners’ interaction in CMC tasks through Instagram Muntaha, Muntaha Chen, Julian Dobinson, Toni Technological advancement has enabled language learners to employ verbal and nonverbal cues in computer-mediated communication (CMC). These cues can support language use for learners wishing to communicate more effectively in English. Interactive alignment is one phenomenon that shows how humans tend to collaborate in their language use by adapting, priming, and reusing verbal and nonverbal cues to achieve mutual understanding. Informed by a sociocognitive framework, this study explored and documented English language learners’ multimodal interactive alignment during their CMC task engagement through Instagram. We collected data from 30 first-year Indonesian business school learners who participated in seven online CMC tasks using Instagram chat features: text chat, voice chat, and video chat. To examine various interactive alignments (e.g., how interlocutors adapt, prime, and reuse verbal and nonverbal cues to achieve mutual understanding) that occurred during multimodal task communication, we employed multimodal (inter)action analysis. Findings revealed that learners adapted and reused various nonverbal features (e.g., emojis, GIFs, facial expressions, gestures) and verbal cues (e.g., expression, lexical) to convey and comprehend meaning during CMC task completion. Caveats about using various nonverbal alignment patterns for supporting better English online communication were also noted. The study highlights how language learners use the full repertoire of semiotic resources in CMC to maximize their online language learning. 2024 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/94984 https://hdl.handle.net/10125/73563 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ University of Hawaii fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Muntaha, Muntaha Chen, Julian Dobinson, Toni Multimodal interactive alignment: Language learners’ interaction in CMC tasks through Instagram |
| title | Multimodal interactive alignment: Language learners’
interaction in CMC tasks through Instagram |
| title_full | Multimodal interactive alignment: Language learners’
interaction in CMC tasks through Instagram |
| title_fullStr | Multimodal interactive alignment: Language learners’
interaction in CMC tasks through Instagram |
| title_full_unstemmed | Multimodal interactive alignment: Language learners’
interaction in CMC tasks through Instagram |
| title_short | Multimodal interactive alignment: Language learners’
interaction in CMC tasks through Instagram |
| title_sort | multimodal interactive alignment: language learners’
interaction in cmc tasks through instagram |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10125/73563 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/94984 |