1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. Chinese Language and Discourse
  4. Volume 13, Issue 1
  5. Article
Volume 13, Issue 1
  • ISSN 1877-7031
  • E-ISSN: 1877-8798
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

The paper examines how Chinese celebrities build rapport with their followers on social media, with a comparison between the Chinese mainland (on Weibo) and Hong Kong (on Facebook) celebrities. Rapport building is conceptualized as language use in promoting social bonding and emotional involvement and as achieved via at least two aspects: use of relational acts and choice of interactional features. Twelve months of postings by twelve most-followed Weibo and Facebook celebrities from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong in 2017 have been retrieved and analyzed. It is found that the prevalent relational acts commonly used by both Weibo and Facebook celebrities to build rapport with their followers include sharing information, retweeting information and directives, among others; and the commonly prevalent interactive features include the use of colloquialism, emoji & emoticons, and hashtags or @, and the like. Nonetheless, significant differences also exist in that while Weibo celebrities tend to use more acts of showing stance, Facebook celebrities use more acts of showing appreciation; Weibo celebrities tend to use more colloquialism, emoji & emoticons, and internet slang, Facebook celebrities tend to use more English codemixing and vernacular expressions. Finally, the paper concludes with a discussion and explanation of the commonalities and differences between Weibo and Facebook celebrities.

© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/cld.21031.lin
2022-03-29
2024-10-12

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/cld.21031.lin
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Bedijs, K., G. Held & C. Maaß
    2014 Introduction: Face Work and Social Media. InBedijs, K., G. Held & C. Maaß (Eds.). Face Work and Social Media (Vol.2), pp.9–28. LIT Verlag Münster.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Bou-Franch, P. & Blitvich, P. G.
    (Eds.) 2019 Analyzing Digital Discourse: New Insights and Future Directions. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1007/978‑3‑319‑92663‑6
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92663-6 [Google Scholar]
  3. Cao, Q. & Wu, D.
    2017 Modern Chinese identities at the cross-roads, Critical Arts, 31(6):1–8. 10.1080/02560046.2017.1405456
     https://doi.org/10.1080/02560046.2017.1405456 [Google Scholar]
  4. Biber, D.
    1988 Variation across speech and writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511621024
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511621024 [Google Scholar]
  5. Brown, G. & Yule, G.
    1983 Discourse Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511805226
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511805226 [Google Scholar]
  6. Chu, R. W., Fortunati, L., Law, P. & Yang, S.
    2012 (ed.) Mobile Communication and Greater China. New York: Routledge. 10.4324/9780203120941
     https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203120941 [Google Scholar]
  7. Daer, A. R., Hoffman, R., & Goodman, S.
    2014 Rhetorical Functions of Hashtag Forms Across Social Media Applications. Proceedings of the 32nd ACM International Conference on The Design of Communication CD-ROM – SIGDOC ’14. 10.1145/2666216.2666231
     https://doi.org/10.1145/2666216.2666231 [Google Scholar]
  8. Dainas, A. R. & Herring, S. C.
    2021 Interpreting emoji pragmatics. InC. Xu, F. Yus & H. Haberland (ed.), Approaches to Internet Pragmatics, 107–143. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company. 10.1075/pbns.318.04dai
     https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.318.04dai [Google Scholar]
  9. Dayter, D.
    2018 Self-praise online and offline: The hallmark speech act of social media?, Internet Pragmatics, 1(1): 184–203. 10.1075/ip.00009.day
     https://doi.org/10.1075/ip.00009.day [Google Scholar]
  10. Feng, W. & D. D. Wu
    2016 State-owned or otherwise: Dialogic construction of corporate identities on Sina Weibo[J]. Intercultural Communication Studies, XXV(2): 184–203.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Gao, Y., Wu, D. & Ma, J.
    2019 回归20年后香港与广州、北京的语言态度比较 (Language attitudes in Hong Kong compared with Guangzhou and Beijing), 《语言文字应用》 (Applied Linguistics), 110: 39–50.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Herring, S. C., Das, A., & Penumarthy, S.
    2005 CMC act taxonomy. ella.slis.indiana.edu/~herring/cmc.acts.html
  13. Hoffmann, C. R. & Bublitz, W.
    (ed.) 2017 Pragmatics of Social Media. Berlin:De Gruyter Mouton. 10.1515/9783110431070
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110431070 [Google Scholar]
  14. Ilyas, S., & Khushi, Q.
    2012 Facebook status updates: A speech act analysis. Academic Research International, 3(2): 500–507.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Kádár, D., Haugh, M., & Chang, W.
    2013 Aggression in mainland Chinese and Taiwanese CMC discussion lists, Multingua, 33(3): 343–372.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Kavanagh, B.
    2021 A study on how cultural and gender parameters affect emoticon distribution, usage and frequency in American and Japanese online discourse. InC. Xu, F. Yus & H. Haberland (ed.), Approaches to Internet Pragmatics, 287–320. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company. 10.1075/pbns.318.10kav
     https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.318.10kav [Google Scholar]
  17. Lai, M. L.
    2015 Power redistribution of languages in Hong Kong under a new national flag, Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 25(1):141–164. 10.1075/japc.25.1.08lai
     https://doi.org/10.1075/japc.25.1.08lai [Google Scholar]
  18. Language Situation in China
    Language Situation in China: 2005–2017 Beijing: Commercial Press.
  19. Lee, C.
    2014 Language choice and self-presentation on social media: The case of university students in Hong Kong. InP. Seargeant & C. Tagg (ed.), The Language of Social Media: Identity and Community on the Internet, 91–111. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1057/9781137029317_5
     https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137029317_5 [Google Scholar]
  20. Li, C. & D. D. Wu
    2018 Facework by global brands across Twitter and Weibo. Discourse, Context & Media, 26:32–42. 10.1016/j.dcm.2018.03.006
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2018.03.006 [Google Scholar]
  21. Li, David C. S.
    (1999) The functions and status of English in Hong Kong: A post-1997 update. English World-Wide, 20(1):67–110. 10.1075/eww.20.1.03li
     https://doi.org/10.1075/eww.20.1.03li [Google Scholar]
  22. (2017) Multilingual Hong Kong: Languages, literacies, identities. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.] 10.1007/978‑3‑319‑44195‑5
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44195-5 [Google Scholar]
  23. Locher, M. A., & Bolander, B.
    2014 Relational work and the display of multilingualism in two Facebook groups. InK. Bedijs, G. Held & C. Maaß (Eds.). Face Work and Social Media (Vol.2) (pp.157–191). LIT Verlag Münster.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Maíz-Arévalo, C.
    2017 Getting “liked”. InC. R. Hoffmann & W. Bublitz (ed.), Pragmatics of Social Media, 575–606. Berlin:De Gruyter Mouton. 10.1515/9783110431070‑021
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110431070-021 [Google Scholar]
  25. 2021 Humour and self-presentation on WhatsApp profile status. InC. Xu, F. Yus & H. Haberland (ed.), Approaches to Internet Pragmatics, 175–206. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company. 10.1075/pbns.318.06mai
     https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.318.06mai [Google Scholar]
  26. Malinowski, B.
    1923 The problem of meaning in primitive languages. InC. K. Ogden & I. A. Richards (ed.), The Meaning of Meaning. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp.296–336.
     [Google Scholar]
  27. Nemer, D.
    2016 Celebrities acting up: A speech act analysis in Tweets of famous people. Social Networking, 5, 1–10. 10.4236/sn.2016.51001
     https://doi.org/10.4236/sn.2016.51001 [Google Scholar]
  28. Page, R.
    2012 The linguistic self-branding and micro-celebrity in Twitter: The role of hashtags. Discourse & Communication, 6(2), 181–201. 10.1177/1750481312437441
     https://doi.org/10.1177/1750481312437441 [Google Scholar]
  29. Pérez-Sabater, C.
    2019 Emoticons in relational writing practices on WhatsApp: Some reflections on gender. InP. Bou-Franch & P. G. Blitvich (Eds.), Analyzing Digital Discourse: New Insights and Future Directions. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. pp.105–132. 10.1007/978‑3‑319‑92663‑6_6
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92663-6_6 [Google Scholar]
  30. Scott, K.
    2015 The pragmatics of hashtags: Inference and conversational style on Twitter. Journal of Pragmatics. 81:8–20. 10.1016/j.pragma.2015.03.015
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2015.03.015 [Google Scholar]
  31. Searle, J. R.
    1979 Expression and meaning: Studies in the theory of speech acts. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511609213
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511609213 [Google Scholar]
  32. Snow, D. B.
    2004 Cantonese as Written Language: The Growth of a Written Chinese Vernacular. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  33. So, D. W. C.
    2000 Achieving biliteracy and trilingualism without MOI-based bifurcation of the schools: A plea for third alternatives, inD. C. S. Li (ed.), Language and Education in Postcolonial Hong Kong, pp.9–33. Hong Kong: Linguistic Society of Hong Kong.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Spencer-Oatey, H.
    2000 Rapport management: a framework for analysis. InH. Spencer-Oatey (ed.), Culturally Speaking: Managing Rapport through Talk across Cultures (pp.11–46). London: Continuum. 10.5040/9781350934085
     https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350934085 [Google Scholar]
  35. 2008 Face (im)politeness and rapport. InH. Spencer-Oatey (ed.), Culturally Speaking: Culture, Communication and Politeness Theory (2nd ed.pp.11–47). London: Continuum.
     [Google Scholar]
  36. Statista
    2019 Leading countries based on number of Facebook users as of January 2019 (in millions). Retrieved fromwww.statista.com/statistics/268136/top-15-countries-based-on-number-of-facebook-users/
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Tannen, D.
    2005 Conversational style: analyzing talk among friends. New York: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Wu, D. & Chan, K.
    2007 Multilingual mix in Hong Kong Advertising, pre- and post-1997, Asian Journal of Communication, 17(3): 300–318. 10.1080/01292980701458398
     https://doi.org/10.1080/01292980701458398 [Google Scholar]
  39. Wu, D. & Li, C.
    2018 Emotional branding on social media: A cross-cultural discourse analysis of global brands on Twitter and Weibo, inA. Curtis & R. Sussex (Eds.), Intercultural communication in Asia: Education, Language and Values, Springer. pp.225–240. 10.1007/978‑3‑319‑69995‑0_11
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69995-0_11 [Google Scholar]
  40. Wu, D. D., Li, C. & Feng, J.
    2016 新媒体的社会语言学研究：回顾与展望 (Sociolinguistic Studies of New Media： Review and Prospect), 《当代语言学》 (Contemporary Linguistics), 18(4): 514–531.
     [Google Scholar]
  41. Wu, D. & Feng, W.
    2015 Pragmatist, evangelist, or sensualist?: Emotional branding on Sina Weibo. InP. P. K. Ng & C. S. B. Ngai (Eds.), Role of Language and Corporate Communication in Greater China. Heidelberg : Springer. pp.225–239. 10.1007/978‑3‑662‑46881‑4_12
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-46881-4_12 [Google Scholar]
  42. Wu, D. & Lin, M.
    2017 Relational acts and identity construction by Chinese celebrities on Weibo, inChen, X. (Eds.), Politeness Phenomena across Chinese Genres, Sheffield, UK ; Bristol, CT : Equinox. pp.119–134.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. Xie, C. & Tong, Y.
    2019 “Constructing ‘ordinariness’: An analysis of Jack Ma’s narrative identities on Sina Weibo.” InThe Construction of ‘Ordinariness’ across Media Genres, ed. byAnita Fetzer, and Elda Weizman, 179–205. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/pbns.307.08xie
     https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.307.08xie [Google Scholar]
  44. 2020 Bonding across Chinese social media: The pragmatics of language play in ‘精(sang), 彩(xin) 有(bing)趣 (kuang) construction’. Pragmatics30(3): 431–457. 10.1075/prag.19010.xie
     https://doi.org/10.1075/prag.19010.xie [Google Scholar]
  45. Yang, Z. & Wu, D.
    2018 中国内地与香港网络词语构造的共性与个性 (Morphological Characteristics of Netspeak: Commonalities and Differences across Hong Kong and Inland China), Journal of Chinese Sociolinguistics, (1): 1–13.
     [Google Scholar]
  46. Yus, F.
    2019 Multimodality in memes: A Cyberpragmatic Approach. InP. Bou-Franch & P. G. Blitvich (Eds.), Analyzing Digital Discourse: New Insights and Future Directions. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. pp.105–132. 10.1007/978‑3‑319‑92663‑6_4
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92663-6_4 [Google Scholar]
  47. Zappavigna, M.
    2012 Discourse of Twitter and Social Media: How We Use Language to Create Affiliation on the Web. London: Continnum.
     [Google Scholar]
  48. Zhang, M. & Wu, D. D.
    2018 A cross-cultural analysis of celebrity practice in microblogging, East Asian Pragmatics, 3(2):179–200. 10.1558/eap.33060
     https://doi.org/10.1558/eap.33060 [Google Scholar]
  49. Zhou, M.
    2012 Historical review of the PRC’s minority/indigenous language policy and practice: nation-state building and identity construction, InG. H. Beckett and G. A. Postiglione (ed.), China’s Assimilationist Language Policy, New York: Routledge. pp.18–30.
     [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/cld.21031.lin
Loading
Rapport building by Chinese celebrities on Weibo and Facebook
Chinese Language and Discourse 13, 7 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1075/cld.21031.lin
/content/journals/10.1075/cld.21031.lin
/content/journals/10.1075/cld.21031.lin
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): Chinese celebrity discourse; Facebook; interactional features; rapport building; relational acts; Weibo

Most Cited

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error