The Sequence Organisation And Function Of Laughter(Xiao) In WeChat Conversation

Nowadays,the penetration of smartphones and instant messaging apps has shifted online conversation into a common mode of communication.Along with the process,"laugh",an essential conversational resource in face-to-face interaction,is gradually adopted as an effective strategy to facilitate online interactions.Although online interaction is a prevalent topic in the field of sociolinguistics,few studies on laughter are focused on online conversation and even fewer on Chinese online conversation.The present study analyzes the sequence organization and functions of laughter in WeChat conversation with conversation analysis(CA for abbreviation)under interactional linguistic views.It aims to find out how and why laughter occurs in WeChat conversation.Data were selected from 131 naturally occurring WeChat conversations with 250 laugh units identified,coded and analyzed.The objectives are limited to private chats between peer young adults.Following a combination of both qualitative and quantitative approaches,this thesis describes and investigates the characteristics,frequently recurring patterns,functions and interactional linguistic interpretations of laughter in WeChat conversation.Significant correlations were found between the function of laughter and its position in the sequence,as well as between the speakership after a laugh unit and the position of it in turns.Besides,unilateral laughter in second pair part(SPP for abbreviation)standalone position ranked the most frequently recurring pattern of laughter in WeChat conversation.Moreover,various literal and figurative functions of laughter emerged in the construction process,such as responding to something humorous,expressing happiness,avoiding embarrassment,negotiating alignment,displaying intimacy and standing as a phatic filler or discourse marker.Last but not least,laughter was influenced by the interactivity of WeChat conversation.It emerged with immediacy and discreteness,and performed functions in a syntagmatic style.Through the above analysis,the present study may shed light on online CA research,especially on laughter in online communication.Meanwhile,by explicating characteristics and functions of laughter in online conversation,this thesis will be beneficial to the mastering of skills in online interaction,which is significant for social interaction.