Chinese and English supportive strategies: A cross-cultural analysis.

Abstract

Cultural influences on language use have received much attention in face-to-face conversational discourse. It has been an accepted fact that English speakers express feelings and use direct languages more frequently than Chinese. However, little attention has been paid to the disparities between Chinese and English communicative strategies in computer-mediated settings. This study compares how Internet users give support to Taiwanese and American well-known athletes. Data drawn from Taiwan and U.S. websites indicate different degrees of preference in supportive strategies, reflecting a sharp contrast between low-context/individualistic culture and high-context/collective culture. Taiwanese athletes tend to receive support directed toward a shortened social distance. U.S. athletes are primarily supported by more expressive strategies. Nevertheless, the preparatory and compensatory moves exhibit cross-cultural similarities: Both Taiwanese and U.S. athletes are commonly greeted by first names or nicknames. Supporters of both languages also prefer revealing identity, using informal complimentary closings, and omitting salutations or signatures. The conclusions indicate that influences of Internet characteristics are as significant as cultural backgrounds on the directness and formality of online support. This suggests that the awareness of language cultures and communication media is crucial for language learners in building and mastering successful intercultural communication in networking communities.