HelloTalk Users’ Interpretation of Language Cues: A Mixed-Method Case Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47662/ejeee.v5i2.1300Keywords:
Digital Paralanguage, Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT), Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL), HelloTalk, Pragmatic InterlanguageAbstract
As language learning shifts to digital platforms, the absence of non-verbal signals creates linguistic ambiguity that risks intercultural misunderstanding. This study examines how HelloTalk users interpret language registers and apply Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) within a mixed-purpose digital ecosystem. Using a Concurrent Mixed-Method approach, data were collected from ten B2+ users via Likert scales and thematic analysis. Findings reveal strong register awareness for serious topics (mean=4.30), yet significant ambiguity exists when interpreting formal language in casual chat (s=1.29), hindering pragmatic interlanguage development. Qualitatively, the primary barrier to decoding cues is not linguistic structure, but phonetic factors such as non-standard accents and rapid speech. The study concludes that effective accommodation is constrained by these phonetic hurdles and conflicting digital cues. These results offer critical insights for Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) development, highlighting the need for interfaces to better mediate paralinguistic elements in peer-to-peer digital interactions.
References
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Chen, H., & Li, S. (2023). The role of social presence in promoting language learning engagement in mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) environments. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(1), 1–15.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Deardorff, D. K. (2020). Manual for Developing Intercultural Competence: New Insights and Approaches. Routledge.
Giles, H., & Ogay, T. (2015). Communication accommodation theory. In W. B. Gudykunst (Ed.), The SAGE Handbook of Intercultural Communication (pp. 37–51). SAGE Publications.
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Herring, S. C., & Zappen, J. P. (2020). Theoretical approaches to computer-mediated communication. In S. C. Herring, J. C. Zappen, & C. C. Zappen (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Computer-Mediated Communication (pp. 51–68). SAGE Publications.
Hyland, K. (2019). The essential guide to writing a journal article. John Wiley & Sons.
Ishihara, N., & Cohen, A. D. (2020). Teaching and Learning Pragmatics: Where Language and Culture Meet (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Lin, C. Y., & Warschauer, M. (2020). Exploring the roles of social and task-based interaction in mobile-assisted language learning. Language Teaching Research, 24(3), 365–385.
Rüschoff, B., & Ritter, M. (2020). CALL and the development of digital literacy. In The Routledge Handbook of Language Learning and Technology (pp. 321–333). Routledge.
Smith, J., & Jones, A. (2020). Linguistic competence versus pragmatic awareness: A study of L2 communication in online settings. Applied Linguistics Review, 11(2), 245–268.
Spencer-Oatey, H., & Franklin, P. (2021). Intercultural Interaction: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Intercultural Communication.
Bloomsbury Academic.
Taguchi, N., & Li, S. (2018). Task-Based Language Teaching in the Asia Context: Research and Practice. John Wiley & Sons.
Teddlie, C., & Tashakkori, A. (2020). Mixed methods research: Integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Wang, A., Hu, H., & King, R. B. (2021). The effects of mobile language learning applications on anxiety and motivation. System, 103, 102636.
Zhao, H., Chen, J., & Zhang, W. (2022). Unpacking the complexity of pragmatic failure in cross-cultural online communication. Journal of Pragmatics, 191, 78–90.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 EXCELLENCE: Journal of English and English Education
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
