A CONVERSATION ANALYTIC INVESTIGATION OF RESOURCES FOR ALIGNMENT AND AFFILIATION IN TOPIC MANAGEMENT DURING VIDEO-MEDIATED VIRTUAL EXCHANGE

Date

2025-6

Author

Çimenli Olcars, Betül

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A number of recent studies have explored virtual exchanges in a microanalytic way, however the ways how alignment and affiliation are built in online interaction remains underexplored. Addressing this gap, this study investigates resources for alignment and affiliation within topic management in video-mediated Virtual Exchange (VE) between tertiary-level second language (L2) speakers from Türkiye and Tunisia. It specifically explores the (re)construction of (dis)alignment and (dis)affiliation within topic management in on-task and off-task talk. The data comes from an Erasmus+ project, in which dyads collaborated for five meetings to complete nine tasks. Using Multimodal Conversation Analysis, the study analyzes over 30 hours of screen-recorded spoken data. This is the first study to combine these underresearched areas, which are essential in both everyday and institutional interactions. Findings reveal when and how off-task talk occurs in task-based VE. In the dataset, alignment emerges as central to on-task topic management, while affiliation is a byproduct of interaction. Alignment is facilitated through (non)verbal and screen-based resources, with cooperative contributions in both on-task and off-task talk. In contrast, humor, storytelling, and collaborative turn construction are more common in off-task-talk, enhancing mutual understanding and affiliative bonds. Findings show that on-task interactions are structured and goal-oriented, emphasizing alignment, whereas off-task VE interactions are flexible and relational, emphasizing affiliation. The findings highlight the interplay between on-task and off-task interaction, indicating that both are crucial for building an effective communication repertoire in VE. The study has implications for research on topic management, alignment and affiliation, online task-based interaction, VE, and L2 interactional competence.

Subject Keywords

Virtual Exchange, Topic Management, Alignment, Affiliation, Online Task-based Interaction

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/115080

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis