Studies in Applied Linguistics and TESOL

Digital Conversation Analysis: The Case of Text-Messaging

Kelly Katherine Frantz — 2025-07-14

This special issue contributes to an expanding body of work examining digital communication as a site where participants draw on both linguistic and technological resources to accomplish social actions. It brings together conversation analytic studies that examine how participants open, structure, and respond within text-based interactions across Mandarin Chinese and English messaging platforms. By focusing on naturally occurring data, these studies demonstrate how digital affordances, such as emojis, tapbacks, and quote-and-reply functions, mediate how participants open conversations, manage sequences, and achieve social actions. Together, these studies illuminate both the affordances of digital media and the enduring relevance of sequential analysis. This issue speaks to a growing recognition within CA that technologies do not merely transmit messages but fundamentally shape the organization of interaction.

Text Message Openings in Mandarin in the Digital Age

Lily Linai Zu — 2025-07-14

This study explores the opening sequences of Mandarin text messages on WeChat, focusing on the role of the phrase zaima, meaning are you there? in English, in digital communication. While conversation openings have been widely studied in face-to-face and telephonic interactions, research on text message openings, especially in non-English languages, remains limited despite a growing dependence on digital text-based interactions through short messaging services (SMS). Using a conversation analytic (CA) framework, this study analyzes 50 instances of openings initiated with zaima from a dataset of 255 WeChat conversations, identifying two sequential environments: a unilateral conversation opening where the zaima producer moves directly to the main topic of conversation without waiting for a reply, and a bilateral conversation opening, where the zaima producer pauses for the recipient’s acknowledgement before continuing. The findings contribute to understanding how Mandarin speakers adapt conventional structures in digital openings to manage the affordances of online interactions.

“哈哈(haha)” in WeChat Chinese Conversations

Weiting Yuan — 2025-07-14

Few studies have considered the micro-analysis of written laughter in the digital world in its sequential context (beyond frequency and distribution). The present study fills this gap by examining “transcribed” laughter “哈哈(haha)” in Chinese conversations on WeChat from a conversation analytic perspective. A line-by-line analysis was conducted to identify how speakers use “哈哈(haha)” in different sequences to perform different social actions. This study has shown that the sequential environments of the laughter “哈哈(haha)” in WeChat Chinese conversations can be classified into three types: TCU-initial “哈哈(haha),” TCU-end “哈哈(haha)” and stand-alone “哈哈(haha).” These three types of “哈哈(haha)” perform the actions of mitigating disalignment, managing failure or misconduct, and displaying minimal engagement, respectively. The findings expand the current conversation analysis literature on laughter by describing the use of written laughter in a previously unexamined context and help both native and non-native speakers better navigate informal Chinese digital communication and avoid misunderstandings.

The “Slightly Smiling Face” Emoji in WeChat: A Conversation Analytic Investigation

Zhuolei Li — 2025-07-14

This study investigates the interactional functions of the “Slightly Smiling Face” (SSF) emoji in Chinese WeChat conversations through the lens of Conversation Analysis (CA). Drawing on 50 naturally occurring chat excerpts involving 12 participants across various relationship types, the study identifies three core uses of the SSF emoji: (1) signaling sequence-closing, (2) mitigating dispreferred actions, and (3) conveying disaffiliation without explicit disagreement. These functions parallel some of the roles traditionally fulfilled by nonverbal cues in face-to-face interactions, such as smiles or laughter tokens, revealing how digital communication retools physical gestures through symbolic surrogates. While prior research on emoji use often relies on statistical or multimodal analysis, this paper offers a context-sensitive examination that underscores how a single emoji can accomplish varied pragmatic work depending on sequential positioning and interactional context. By centering on a culturally embedded and pragmatically ambiguous emoji, the study contributes to the understanding of digital CA and broadens the scope of emoji research beyond Western platforms.

The Use of iMessage Tapbacks as Sequence-Closing Seconds

Leanna Rudin — 2025-07-14

This study investigates iMessage Tapbacks as sequence-closing seconds, or minimal responses that fulfill conversational obligations in text-based group chats. Through conversation analysis of three group conversations, the analysis demonstrates how Tapbacks operate as efficient second pair-parts (2pps) in adjacency pairs: (1) likes acknowledge directives (e.g., agreeing to plans), (2) loves signal appreciation for commissives (e.g., offers), and (3) emphasize affiliates with tellings (e.g., complaints). Findings indicate that Tapbacks address interactional challenges by enabling acknowledgment without prolonging discussion, particularly in asynchronous, multi-topic chats. The study contributes to digital communication research by distinguishing Tapbacks from emojis and theorizing their role in replicating nonverbal cues (e.g., nods) while streamlining interaction. Limitations include a small, homogenous dataset; future research should examine demographic variation and contextual ambiguity in Tapback usage.

Quote-and-Reply in WeChat: A Conversation Analytic Study

Yajing Yang — 2025-07-14

This study explores uses of the quote-and-reply (Q&R) function in WeChat through conversation analysis. Analyzing 7 naturally occurring chat samples, the research identifies 3 primary interactional practices: sequence-jumping, which enables responses to non-adjacent turns across temporal gaps; response facilitation, where quotes are incorporated in the message to enhance clarity and thematic coherence; and spotlighting prior text, which emphasizes specific messages for alignment or humor. Findings reveal how Q&R transforms digital communication by mitigating challenges of multi-party chats and asynchronous interactions. The study contributes to understanding how platform-specific features reshape conversation structures, offering insights for designing more effective digital communication tools.

An Interview with APPLE Lecture Speaker Dr. Okim Kang

Daniel Eskin — 2025-07-14

On April 18th, 2025, the Studies in Applied Linguistics and TESOL (SALT) journal interviewed Dr. Okim Kang, an invited speaker for the 2025 APPLE Lecture Series hosted by the Applied Linguistics and TESOL program at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Dr. Kang is a Professor of Applied Linguistics, Director of the Applied Linguistics Speech Lab, and Director of the Global Communication Center at Northern Arizona University. Her research interests are speech perception/production, language social psychology/attitudes, applied phonology/speech intelligibility, L2 oral assessment/testing, and automated speech recognition. She has published and co-authored eight books on the topics of spoken discourse, prosody, and communication success, including a handbook about contemporary English pronunciation. She has published over 110 academic articles and given 260 keynote and conference presentations. She is an associate editor for Applied Linguistics and serving on the editorial board for various prestigious journals (e.g., Language Testing, SSLA, Language Teaching, Language Assessment Quarterly, Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, and Languages). She obtained over 45 grants, including National Science Foundation and various testing agencies (e.g., Educational Testing Service, Duolingo, IELTS, the Cambridge English Assessment, and the British Council).

Readers’ Credits for Volume 25, Issue 1

Kelly Katherine Frantz — 2025-07-14