Culture, imagined audience, and language choices of multilingual Chinese and Korean students on facebook

Ha Kyung Kong, Y. Wayne Wu, Brian Bailey, Karrie Karahalios

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Multilingual users of social networking sites (SNSs) write in different languages for various reasons. In this paper, we explore the language choice of multilingual Chinese and Korean students studying in the United States on Facebook. We survey the effects of collectivist culture, imagined audience, and language proficiency on their language choice. Results show that multilingual users use language for dividing and filtering their imagined audience. Culture played two contrasting roles; users wanted to share their culture in English but share their emotions in their native language. Through this work, we hope to portray language choice not as a tool for exclusion but of consideration for the potential audience and adherence to one’s culture.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationSocial Informatics - 7th International Conference, SocInfo 2015, Proceedings
EditorsTie-Yan Liu, Wenwu Zhu, Christie Napa Scollon
PublisherSpringer
Pages1-16
Number of pages16
ISBN (Print)9783319274324
DOIs
StatePublished - 2015
Event7th International Conference on Social Informatics, SocInfo 2015 - Beijing, China
Duration: Dec 9 2015Dec 12 2015

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume9471
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Other

Other7th International Conference on Social Informatics, SocInfo 2015
Country/TerritoryChina
CityBeijing
Period12/9/1512/12/15

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Theoretical Computer Science
  • Computer Science(all)

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