A Comparison between the Occurrence of Pauses, Repetitions and Recasts under Conditions of Face-to-Face and Computer-Mediated Communication: A Preliminary Study.

Abstract

This study compares pauses, repetitions and recasts in matched task interactions under face-to-face and computer-mediated conditions. Six first-year English undergraduates at a Turkish University took part in Skypebased voice chat with a native speaker and face-to-face with their instructor. Preliminary quantitative analysis of transcripts showed that there were frequent instances of pauses, repetitions and recasts under both conditions. One-way variance analysis of the data demonstrated that the comparative frequency of pauses, repetitions and recasts did not differ statistically significantly under the two conditions. A semi-structured interview with the participants on perceived causes of such frequent elements suggested social and emotional reasons for hesitation, pauses, recasts and repetitions. These small-scale and preliminary findings suggest that further exploration of these modes of communication is merited, and that social and emotional factors may exert a common influence on the linguistic elements studied under both conditions.