Linguistic Characteristics in Synchronous and Asynchronous CMC

Linguistic Characteristics in Synchronous and Asynchronous CMC

  With recent advances in computer-mediated communication (CMC), the different modes of CMC should be properly incorporated into the English language curriculum according to its pedagogical goals. This paper investigates the linguistic characteristics of the two CMC modes in small group discussion; synchronous CMC (SCMC, i.e. text-chatting) and asynchronous CMC (ASCMC, i.e, posting on a bulletin board). Linguistic output obtained from Korean EFL student"s chatting and postings were compared in terms of quantity and quality. The results show significant differences in two measures of quality-lexical richness and syntactic complexity. The asynchronous nature of ASCMC allows more time to choose appropriate words and complete the task. The expanded time to reflect on postings brought about many topic-related and formal expressions including diverse vocabulary and complex sentences. On the other hand, the synchronous nature of SCMC facilitates immediate responses, which lead to shorter and simpler output in order to keep up with the multi-threaded conversation. These findings suggest that asynchronous CMC may be more effective in promoting a richer lexicon and syntactically more complex output. Pedagogical implications for the design of CMC activities were also discussed to improve linguistic output.