Language first

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Language first. Analyzing online discourse

It is a widely known fact that new media technologies now permeate all aspects of human communication, blurring traditional distinctions between mass, interpersonal and institutional communication realms. Advanced Computer Mediated communication has especially witnessed an exponential growth in the last decades as we increasingly turn to the Web to achieve our informational, educational, relational, persuasive and entertainment goals. Language First. Analyzing Online Discourse explains and discusses this surge through a linguistic approach which highlights how people continue to use language as the primary meaning-making resource in text-based environments to satisfy multiple communication needs. Rather than focus on the nature of the medium itself, and the added value that is embedded in its potential to trigger meaningful interactions, the real-life case studies presented in this publication especially provide a window into the processes involved in the creation of an online persona through specific discourse behaviors. By exhibiting contributions deployed in mainly asynchronous discussion forums, robust evidence of the multifaceted use of language in online communication is provided.

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