Pooley, Aaron William (2017) Exploring language contact and use among globally mobile populations: a qualitative study of English-speaking short-stay academic sojourners in the Republic of Korea. [Thesis (PhD/Research)]
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Text (Whole Thesis)
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Abstract
This study explores the language contact and use of English speaking sojourners in the Republic of Korea who had no prior knowledge of Korean language or culture prior to arriving in the country. The study focuses on the use of mobile technology assisted l anguage use. Study participants responded to an online survey about their experiences using the Korean language when interacting with Korean speakers, their free time activities, and the types of digital and mobile technologies they used. The survey respon ses informed questions for later discussion groups, in which participants discussed challenges and solutions when encountering new linguistic and social scenarios with Korean speakers. Semi structured interviews were employed to examine the linguistic, soc ial and technological dimensions of the study participants’ brief sojourn in Korea in more depth. The interviews revealed a link between language contact, language use and a mobile instant messaging application.
In the second phase of the study, online surveys focused on the language and technology link discovered in the first phase. Throughout Phase Two , the researcher observed the study participants in a series of social contexts, such as informal English practice and university events. Phase Two concluded with semi structured interviews that demonstrated language contact and use within mobile instant messaging chat rooms on participants’ handheld smart devices.
The two phases revealed three key factors influencing the language contact and use between the study participants and Korean speakers. Firstly, a mutual perspicacity for mobile technologies and digital communication supported their mediated, screen to screen and blended direct and mediated face to screen interactions. Secondly, Korea’s advanced digital environment comprised handheld smart devices, smart device applications and ubiquitous, high speed Wi Fi their Korean speaking hosts to self reliance. Thirdly, language use between the study participants and Korean speakers incorporated a range of sociolinguistic resources including the exchange of symbols, small expressive images, photographs, video and audio recordings along with or in place of typed text. Using these resources also helped the study participants learn and take part in social and cultural practices, such as gifting digitally, within mobile instant messaging chat rooms. The findings of the study are drawn together in a new conceptual model which h as been called sociolinguistic digital acuity , highlighting the optimal conditions for language contact and use during a brief sojourn in a country with an unfamiliar language and culture.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (PhD/Research) |
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| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) thesis. |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Current - Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts - School of Linguistics, Adult and Specialist Education (1 July 2013 -) |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Current - Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts - School of Linguistics, Adult and Specialist Education (1 July 2013 -) |
| Supervisors: | Midgley, Warren; Farley, Helen |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Jul 2018 04:52 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Jul 2019 05:34 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | sociolinguistics; language contact; mobile technologies; mobile instant messaging; MIM; language use; Korea |
| Fields of Research : | 08 Information and Computing Sciences > 0806 Information Systems > 080602 Computer-Human Interaction 08 Information and Computing Sciences > 0805 Distributed Computing > 080502 Mobile Technologies |
| Identification Number or DOI: | doi:10.26192/5c09bd3ff0cc7 |
| URI: | http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/34493 |
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