ABSTRACT
This chapter systematically reviews research of second language (L2) pragmatics in the context of computer-mediated communication (CMC). It deals with a discussion of previous research regarding second-language acquisition and CMC, and then turns to a detailed consideration of various pragmatic functions that have been researched in digitally mediated contexts. The chapter focuses on the intersection of CMC and L2 pragmatics, chiefly with an emphasis on direct communication between L2 learners and first language partners of a particular language. The enactment and development of L2 pragmatic competence in a computer-mediated environment has often been studied in relation to the production of pronominal address forms. Increasingly, researchers are focused on the computer-mediated development and enactment of L2 pragmatic competence at the discourse level. CMC can be understood as ‘person-to-person communication that takes place via a range of computer-supported transmission technologies that enable both synchronous real-time and asynchronous interaction across different modalities’.
