A New Voice on Interchange: Is it Talking or Writing? Implications for the Teaching of Literature

Abstract

While electronic discourse is silent and can be printed and subjected to the literate bias we use in evaluating formal writing, at the same time synchronous discourse contains the sound and texture of “voice” and serves the generative and communalizing function of authentic talk. Based upon analysis of discussions of fiction using Dedalus Interchange in literary analysis classes, I have found the electronic voices of my students to be unlike the voices I'd come to know from these students in speech and writing. I find the rich hyper-vocality of Interchange expands the number of ideas all are exposed to, deemphasizes traditional authority increasing metalinguistic awareness, may decrease inhibition and gender barriers, and facilitates the kind of increased social connectedness which motivates participation.