Conversation Analysis of Computer‐Mediated Interactions

Abstract

This entry provides a brief overview of research which has been conducted using a conversation analysis (CA) approach to understand computer‐mediated interactions (CMIs). An increasing number of researchers use CA to investigate CMIs, because this methodology engages in systematic analysis of talk in everyday naturally occurring situations of social and institutional interaction. CA's central concern with interaction between human beings has provided researchers with a robust methodological foundation, based on previous work on telephone and face‐to‐face conversation, to investigate new and unique forms of interaction in online settings, where participants are using either their first, additional, or a foreign language (L1 or L2). While users innovatively adapt to new online environments, technological resources and artifacts such as computers, mobile devices, and communication software inevitably modify interaction, depending on constraints and affordances of the medium, and how the interaction is configured. This review briefly summarizes what CA research has achieved so far, methodological changes required, and the work that is yet to be done to understand the complexities and impact of CMIs on how human beings relate to and learn from each other.