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Code-choice on Twitter: How stance-taking and linguistic accommodation reflect the identity of polyglossic Egyptian users

This study examines the online identity of polyglossic Egyptian users of Twitter. It is descriptive and exploratory utilizing a qualitative design with some frequency count which adds descriptive data. Data were collected using a Discourse Completion Task (DCT) where the participants were presented...

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Main Author: Mashhour, Sahar
Format: Thesis
Published: AUC Knowledge Fountain 2016
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access_status_str Open Access
author Mashhour, Sahar
author_browse Mashhour, Sahar
author_facet Mashhour, Sahar
author_sort Mashhour, Sahar
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.
description This study examines the online identity of polyglossic Egyptian users of Twitter. It is descriptive and exploratory utilizing a qualitative design with some frequency count which adds descriptive data. Data were collected using a Discourse Completion Task (DCT) where the participants were presented with a number of tweets and were asked to type another tweet in response to each. The findings from the study suggest that polyglossic Egyptians, those who are proficient in English as well as Arabic, exhibited an assertive identity on Twitter. This identity was constructed through the choice of code, the linguistic accommodation to the tweet authors, and the stance they took. Polyglossic Egyptians were found to use English more than any other code, followed by Arabizi, and then Arabic. They linguistically accommodated the tweet authors in their replies to some extent by choosing the same code in replying as that used in the original tweet. Further, and using Du Bois’ (2007) stance triangle framework, it was also found that they expressed their (dis)alignment quite bluntly by taking an epistemic stance achieved through the use of boosters (very few hedges were used), sarcasm, simple present tense (to express an opinion as if stating a fact), and modals (to offer advice). By doing that, polyglossic Egyptians were found to be assertive in expressing their opinions, often showing themselves as informative, superior people who are guided by facts about topics rather than feelings.
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institution American University in Cairo (Egypt)
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license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from AUC Knowledge Fountain — bepress
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spelling oai:fount.aucegypt.edu:etds-1294 Code-choice on Twitter: How stance-taking and linguistic accommodation reflect the identity of polyglossic Egyptian users Mashhour, Sahar This study examines the online identity of polyglossic Egyptian users of Twitter. It is descriptive and exploratory utilizing a qualitative design with some frequency count which adds descriptive data. Data were collected using a Discourse Completion Task (DCT) where the participants were presented with a number of tweets and were asked to type another tweet in response to each. The findings from the study suggest that polyglossic Egyptians, those who are proficient in English as well as Arabic, exhibited an assertive identity on Twitter. This identity was constructed through the choice of code, the linguistic accommodation to the tweet authors, and the stance they took. Polyglossic Egyptians were found to use English more than any other code, followed by Arabizi, and then Arabic. They linguistically accommodated the tweet authors in their replies to some extent by choosing the same code in replying as that used in the original tweet. Further, and using Du Bois’ (2007) stance triangle framework, it was also found that they expressed their (dis)alignment quite bluntly by taking an epistemic stance achieved through the use of boosters (very few hedges were used), sarcasm, simple present tense (to express an opinion as if stating a fact), and modals (to offer advice). By doing that, polyglossic Egyptians were found to be assertive in expressing their opinions, often showing themselves as informative, superior people who are guided by facts about topics rather than feelings. 2016-06-01T07:00:00Z thesis application/pdf https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/295 https://fount.aucegypt.edu/context/etds/article/1294/viewcontent/Final_20Draft_20PDF.pdf The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy. Theses and Dissertations AUC Knowledge Fountain Accommodation Arabizi
spellingShingle Accommodation
Arabizi
Mashhour, Sahar
Code-choice on Twitter: How stance-taking and linguistic accommodation reflect the identity of polyglossic Egyptian users
title Code-choice on Twitter: How stance-taking and linguistic accommodation reflect the identity of polyglossic Egyptian users
title_full Code-choice on Twitter: How stance-taking and linguistic accommodation reflect the identity of polyglossic Egyptian users
title_fullStr Code-choice on Twitter: How stance-taking and linguistic accommodation reflect the identity of polyglossic Egyptian users
title_full_unstemmed Code-choice on Twitter: How stance-taking and linguistic accommodation reflect the identity of polyglossic Egyptian users
title_short Code-choice on Twitter: How stance-taking and linguistic accommodation reflect the identity of polyglossic Egyptian users
title_sort code choice on twitter how stance taking and linguistic accommodation reflect the identity of polyglossic egyptian users
topic Accommodation
Arabizi
url https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/295
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/context/etds/article/1294/viewcontent/Final_20Draft_20PDF.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT mashhoursahar codechoiceontwitterhowstancetakingandlinguisticaccommodationreflecttheidentityofpolyglossicegyptianusers