A Analysis of the Functions of Emoji in the Messenger App from the
Perspective of Rapport Management

Churong Xu

doi:10.18686/ahe.v7i22.9755

A Analysis of the Functions of Emoji in the Messenger App from the Perspective of Rapport Management

Churong Xu

Abstract

Emoji is not only one of types of digital graphical icons, but also can be seen as a new virtual language. Especially with the development of technology, it is widely used in online communication around the world. Hence this critical essay tries to explain the
functions of emoji from the perspective of rapport management among four persons from different cultural backgrounds. The data show
emoji not only has textual functions (expressing feelings, stressing the tone of speech acts and emphasizing the contents of speech acts), but also has social functions (mitigating face-threatening acts, achieving interactional goals and managing communicative flow), which
eventually helps people to build and maintain good relationships.

Keywords

Functions of emoji, Rapport management, Online communication, Cultural difference

Full Text:

PDF

Included Database

References

[1] Agnese, Sampietro. (2019). Emoji and Rapport Management in Spanish WhatsApp Chats. Journal of Pragmatics, 143, 109-120. doi: 10.1016/j.pragma.2019.02.009.

[2] Hamza, Alshenqeeti. (2016). Are Emojis Creating a New or Old Visual Language for New Generations? A Socio-semiotic Study: Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 7(6), 56-69. Retrieved from http://journals.aiac.org.au/index.php/alls/index.

[3] Jeff, Blagdon. (2013). How Emoji Conquered the World. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2013/3/4/3966140/how-emoji-conquered-the-world.

[4] Penelope, Brown & Levinson, Stephen C. (1987). Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[5] Danesi, Marcel. (2016). The Semiotics of Emoji: The Rise of Visual Language in the Age of the Internet (1st ed.). London: Bloomsbury.

[6] Ge Jing., & Herring, Susan C. (2018). Communicative Functions of Emoji Sequences on Sina Weibo. First Monday, 23(11). Retrieved from https://ojphi.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/9413/7610.

[7] Lorenzo-Dus, Nuria., & Bou-Franch, Patricia. (2013). A Cross-cultural Investigation of Email Communication in Peninsular Spanish and British English: the Role of (in)formality and (in)directness. Pragmatics and society, 4 (1), 1-25. doi: 10.1075/ps.4.1.01lor.

[8] Pavlidou, Theodossia-Soula. (2010). Interactional Work in Greek and German Telephone Conversations. In Spencer-Oatey, Helen(Ed.), Culturally Speaking: Culture, Communication and Politeness Theory (pp.118-135). London: Bloomsbury.

[9] Spencer-Oatey, Helen. (2000). Culturally Speaking: Managing rapport through talk across cultures. New York: Cassell.

[10] Spencer-Oatey, Helen. (2002). Managing Rapport in Talk: Using Rapport Sensitive Incidents to Explore the Motivational Concerns Underlying the Management of Relations. Journal of Pragmatics, 34(5), 529-545. doi: 10.1016/S0378-2166(01)00039-X.

[11] Spencer-Oatey, Helen. (2010). Culturally Speaking: Culture, Communication and Politeness Theory (2nd ed.). London: Bloomsbury.

[12] Will, Gibson., Pingping Huang., & Qianyun, Yu. (2018). Emoji and Communicative Action: the Semiotics, Sequence and Gestural Actions of ‘Face Covering Hand.’. Discourse, Context & Media, 26, 91-99. doi: 10.1016/j.dcm.2018.05.005.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18686/ahe.v7i22.9755

Refbacks

There are currently no refbacks.