1. The Development of E-Mail Literacy: From Writing to Peers to Writing to Authority Figures
Presenter: Ji-Jhen Li
Instructor:Dr. Pi-Ying Hsu
May 4, 2011

2. 2
Citation
Chen, C-F. E. (2006). The development of E-
mail literacy: From writing to peers to
writing to authority figures. Language
Learning and Technology, 10 (2), 35-55.
3. 3
Content
1
Introduction
2
Methodology
Findings & Conclusions
3
4
Reflection
4. E-mail has been widely used for both
personal communication and institution.
However, there are notparalinguistic cues
in using e-mail for status-unequal
communication.
4
Introduction
5. Definition of Term
5
A shared mental
Vocal
inflection
Gestures
Facial
expression
Paralinguistic cues
6. 6
Literature Review
Chinese students structure their request
e-mails in an indirect sequence.
They transfer the request strategies in Chinese into the English request e-mails written to US professors.
(Kirkpatrick,1991; Nash,1983; Zhang,1955)
7. 7
Purpose of the Study

to uncover the complexity of an

L2 learners developing e-mail
practice

to explore sociocognitive and

sociopsychological factors
affecting participants language
use via e-mail
8. 8
Methodology
3 in-depth interviews
One
participant
Ling
266 e-mails
Online interview via mail
Online chat
9. 9
Research Questions
1
Did Lings language use differ between the
e-mails sent to peers and the e-mails sent
to professors?
2
Did her use of these discourse forms and
strategies change over time in her e-mail
practice?
10. Research Questions
10
3
From Lings perspective, what made her
change or remain unchanged in her
language use in e-mail communication?
4
How can change or resistance to change in
her e-mail practice be explained from
sociocultural perspectives?
11. Data Analysis
11
Lings e-mail discoursefeatures
Discourse style
Message length
Message structure
12. Discourse Style
12
E-mails during
doctoral study
Familiarity
E-mails during master study
Power relation
Formal
Showing respect
E-mails
to
peers
Good impression
Easy and fluent
Informal
A sense of belong
Solidarity
13. Message Length
13
E-mails
during
doctoral study
E-mail experience
E-mails during master study
Shorter
Time Saving
Face-to-face interaction
Improved oral English
E-mails
to
peers
Stating
purposes
Long
entries
A sense of personal touch
14. Message Structure
14
E-mails
to
peers
E-mails during master study
E-mails during doctoral study
Inductive
Inductive
Inductive
Indirect person
Native culture practice
15. Data Analysis
15
Request
strategies
Request
acts
Supportive moves
Query
Preparatory
Want Statements
Mitigating
Aggravating
16. Request Acts
16
Query Preparatory
Want Statements
Mostly
Sometimes
may
Never
E-mails during master
E-mails during
doctoral study
E-mails to
peers
17. Supportive Moves
E-mails
to
peers
Small
talk
apologizing
E-mails
during
Master study
Mitigating
supportive
moves
Self-humbling
Reluctance to
impinge
E-mails
during
doctoral
study
availability
17
17
18. Supportive Moves
18
E-mails
to
peers
Personal detail
reasons
Student-oriented
reasons
E-mails
during
Master study
Aggravating supportive
moves
Urgency
Institutional
reasons
E-mails
during
doctoral
study
Ability
19. Conclusions
19
L2 learners frequent use of e-mail to peers
Effectively for institutional status-unequal communication
20. 20
Conclusions
Common Chinese culture
L1 writing style
Lings e-mail writing
Subculture language
Self-cognition
21. Reflection
21
98 e-mails
to
US professors
168
e-mails
topeers
22. Reflection
22
3 in-depth interviews
Over 2 .5 years
23. Reflection
23
24. 24
Thanks for your listening.