Pragmatic Analysis Of Whatsapp Chats
Pragmatic Analysis Of Whatsapp Chats
Introduction
1.1 Background
to the Study
Language is one of the most complex
of all human-specific phenomena. Its convolutions of parts and meanings. It
goes beyond its semiotic possibility of conveying information at a
communicative level to have an art form that exists by it alone which is known
as the literary art.
At the communicative level, it
involves other tools to aid interlocution namely voice modulation and pitch,
gesticulations which for the sake of this study include facial expressions and
feedback from the other person for the clarification of meanings and understanding.
At the interpersonal level, language is always based on contextual sense-making
as the complexity of language always bears upon every utterance.
Remove the verbal and personal
arrangement of this semiotic speech act and all the other tools for
sense-making to go with it. So that one runs the risk of being misunderstood
which defeats the aim of conversations at all levels. However, with the
advancement of technology especially in the telecommunications sector, people
now rely much on texting and instant messaging platforms are becoming more and
more popular across social classes and with this popularity comes the need for
its acceptance by formal and informal purposes.
- Statement of the Problem
The use of the WhatsApp instant
messaging application involves a two-way attempt to decipher interlocution
beyond the texts. So features like emojis and Smiley’s are added to aid
understanding while shorthands are also evolved and their meanings learnt by
users and new users. However, a greater chance of sense-making still lies in
the texts and how users are able to adjust to each person's texting pattern. In
any event, one relies majorly on the context in order to make sense of what is
being read and when this fails, one asks for clarifications from the other
person(s). This is the problem that has given rise to the present research: to
conduct a pragmatic study of WhatsApp chats.
- Research Questions
- what are the common methods through which users arrive
at a contextual meaning of texts on the Application?
- How far can the Contextual theory of semantics with
all its shortcomings bear upon any study such as the present one?
- What are the troubles users tend to run into in terms
of sense-making on the platform
- And how peculiar are the texting styles across different
regions
- Objectives of the Study
The major purpose of this research
work is to carry out a pragmatic analysis of the intricacies of the WhatsApp
instant messaging application. This would be achieved through:
- An identification of the various common methods users
employs in the contextual sense-making process.
- The research will describe in detail the movement of
contextual sensemaking among users of the instant messaging application.
This description will aim at looking at these methods as they develop into
popularity among a particular age range usually the millennials.
- Significance of the Study
The present research work is deeply
significant especially as it closes up an academic gap which has been called it
up. In language study especially the part the linguistics are mandated to
study, the research will give models for reading WhatsApp conversations and
other conversations on similar platforms with similar features like Imo,
Instagram Direct Message and Facebook Messenger.
In the wider picture and seeing that
many legal conversations go on with the use of the app, forensics and criminal
law can gain insight from the work done here in understanding how to handle
conversations of this kind tendered as evidence in legal action.
- Research Hypothesis
The assumption on which this
research work is predicated upon the assumption that the contextual
sense-making process is what is used by users of the instant messaging
application: WhatsApp.
- Scope of the Study
The focus of this research work is
on deciphering how sense-making in WhatsApp chats is predicated upon the
context of messages. While focusing on WhatsApp references would be made as the
discussion progresses to other instant messaging software like the Facebook
Messenger app and Imo.
- Limitations of the Study
The major limitations of this
research work are time issues and the nature of the research which would
require sifting through a random cross-section of WhatsApp chats in order to
better carry out the study which would also require lots of time and financial
resources.
- Definition of Terms
Pragmatics
This is the branch of linguistics
that enquires into how the context of texts and word usages bear upon their
meanings.
EDITOR SOURCE: Pragmatic Analysis Of Whatsapp Chats
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