It Takes Two: a Study of Meaning Negotiation and Multimodal Communication in Collaborative Gaming

Abstract

Electronic Thesis or DissertationThis study examines how multimodal interaction resources such as speech, movement, and gesture mediate negotiation for meaning during collaborative gaming among second language learners. It also investigates the production of language-related episodes by second-language learners. This qualitative study examines participant interactions during collaborative gaming. It draws on applied linguistics (Smith, 2003; Varoni & Gass, 1985) and gesture studies (Norris, 2004). Data collection includes screen recordings, audio recordings, and video recordings of participants engaged in cooperative gameplay. The findings reveal that negotiation episodes occur spontaneously during collaborative gaming, and second-language learners employ interactional strategies like clarification requests, confirmation checks, elaboration, and comprehension checks to repair communication breakdown. The results also highlight the use of gestures during negotiation episodes and describe how second language learners dynamically co-construct meaning using multimodal resources like gestures, gaze, and head movement