Transcultural communication: Language, communication and culture through English as a lingua franca in a social network community | Culture and communication in digital worlds

Author(s): Will Baker, Chittima Sangiamchit

Year of publication: 2019

Keywords: Transcultural communication, English as a lingua franca (ELF), Social Networking Sites (SNS), Multilingualism, Translanguaging

Methodology/Sample: Discourse-centred online ethnography/5 students

Reference: Baker, W., & Sangiamchit, C. (2019). Transcultural Communication: Language, communication and culture through English as a lingua franca in a social network community. Language and Intercultural Communication, 19(6), 471–487. https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2019.1606230

Abstract

SNS (Social Networking Sites) are a ubiquitous social space for many, often involving the use of English as a lingua franca in highly multilingual and multicultural settings. This article presents an ethnographic investigation of communication among a group of international students on a popular SNS. The data illustrates the fluid and complex linguistic and cultural practices present in these social spaces. This has important implications for understanding intercultural communication; in particular, we argue that a transcultural perspective provides a significant new dimension to research in which borders between languages, communities and cultures are transcended, transgressed and transformed.

> Summary

The paper explores transcultural communication in virtual spaces, particularly on social networking sites (SNS) using English as a lingua franca.
It emphasizes the fluidity of linguistic and cultural practices in these settings, highlighting the complexity of interactions.
The study suggests that transcultural perspectives enhance understanding of language, identity, and culture in intercultural communication.
It notes the need for further research on how cultural and linguistic boundaries are transformed in online interactions.

> Problem statement

The paper highlights the need for a transcultural perspective in understanding intercultural communication, moving beyond traditional cultural boundaries.
It discusses the limitations of existing frameworks that view communication as merely in-between cultures.
The study emphasizes the fluidity of language and cultural practices in social networking sites, which complicates traditional identity categorizations.
It points out the absence of participants’ voices in the data, limiting the depth of understanding of transcultural identities.
The research aims to explore how cultural, linguistic, and modal boundaries are transformed in online interactions.

> Methods used

The study employed a digital ethnographic perspective, utilizing ethnographic techniques for rich social group descriptions.
Discourse-centred online ethnography involved repeated online engagement, text selection, and participant interviews.
Five Thai international students were core participants, observed over an eight-month period.
Data collection included 139 scripts of Facebook conversations and multimodal features.
Field notes and semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather contextual information.
Data analysis involved content coding, combining a priori and inductive codes to identify core themes.
The study followed Lincoln and Guba’s trustworthiness criteria for validity.
The research focused on transcultural communication through English as a lingua franca.

> Practical implications

The paper suggests that virtual social spaces are crucial for researching contemporary intercultural communication.
A transcultural perspective enhances understanding of language, identity, and community in communication.
The study highlights the need for further research on cultural, linguistic, and modal boundaries in online interactions.
It emphasizes the importance of recognizing fluid and dynamic interactions in multilingual settings.
The findings advocate for a holistic approach to studying interactions that transcends traditional cultural categories.