Pragmatic Analysis of Rapport Management in Posts and Replies by Twitter Users in Nigeria
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2023-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lead City University
Abstract
This study examined (im)polite use of language by users of Twitter in Nigeria. It highlights how face and sociality rights are affected by tweets and replies on the platform. Nigerian users of language on the platform experience “dragging”, that is mass disapproval of their tweets on the platform which impacts their mental health. Moreover, existing studies did not examine the use of language by Twiiter users in Nigeria to either manage or mismanage rapport on the social media platform. This study therefore creates an awareness of how language use on the platform impacts rapport between users and shows how this results in either harmony (positive rapport) or disharmony (negative rapport). The framework used for analysis is rapport management model by Helen Spencer-Oatey. The study adopted content analysis. Screenshots of tweets posted on Twitter and between January, 2021 and January 2023 by Twitters users in Nigeria make up the population for the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 39 samples which contain instances of (im)politeness, rights infringement and rights acknowledgement/support. Findings of the study indicated that there are 17 instances of the use of language in the form of insults, 4 instances of the use of language in the form of unpalatable questions/presuppositions, 2 instances of language in the form of pointed criticisms and 7 instances of the use of language in the form of personalized positive assertion. Only 7 instances involve the use of personalized positive assertion, which means that all other instances take the form of impolite usage. It is therefore concluded that Nigerian users of Twitter make use of impolite language more than polite language. It is recommended that Nigerian users of Twitter should be sensitized on the usage of impolite language on the platform and its effect on relationship with others, both on-line and offline.
Keywords: Pragmatic Analysis, Rapport Management, Posts and Replies by Twitter Users, Nigeria
Word Count: 300
Pragmatic Analysis, Rapport Management, Posts and Replies by Twitter Users, Nigeria
Description
Keywords
Pragmatic Analysis, Rapport Management, Posts and Replies by Twitter Users, Nigeria
Citation
Kate Turabian