Cover not available
Article published In:
Computer-mediated communication in class: Fostering access to digital mediascapes
Edited by Stefania Maci and Marianna Lya Zummo
[Translation and Translanguaging in Multilingual Contexts 10:1] 2024
► pp. 6–27

A genre-oriented analysis of TikTok instructional discourse

 | University of Eastern Piedmont
This study intends to contribute to the analysis of digital instructional discourse in order to gain an insight into how the EFL classroom has in some sense shifted online in the hands of amateur experts (Tolson 2010; Bhatia 2018), who create an informal learning environment by drawing on their discursive competence, disciplinary knowledge and professional practice. By incorporating quantitative, qualitative, and case study data, this article considers the value of genre analysis in educational social media research. It focuses, particularly, on the rhetorical and lexico-grammatical features of a selection of TikTok video mini-lessons targeting Italian speakers of English as a foreign language. Analysis of the data reveals that digital language teaching discourse on TikTok is a structured event with recurrent rhetorical patterns and linguistic features for achieving both pedagogical and promotional communicative purposes. The research bears considerable relevance given the need for the analysis of transformation processes in instructional discourse amid the widespread use of information and communication technologies and the advance of online learning.
Keywords: genre analysis, digital instructional discourse, EFL, social media
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Discourse in educational settings
    • 2.1Research questions
  • 3.Data gathering and corpus-building process
  • 4.Methods
  • 5.Findings and discussion
    • 5.1Overview: Participants, themes, codes
    • 5.2Rhetorical structure
    • 5.3Meta-discoursal strategies
      • 5.3.1Engagement markers
      • 5.3.2Stance
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Note
  • References
Published online: 9 February 2024
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ttmc.00124.tom
References (58)
References
Arif, Tubagus Zam Zam Al. 2019. “The Use of Social Media for English Language Learning: An Exploratory Study of EFL University Students.” Metathesis: Journal of English Language, Literature, and Teaching 3 (2): 224–233.Google Scholar
Bamford, Julia. 2009. “Patterns of Description in Lectures in Science and Technology.” In Point of View: Description and Evaluation across Discourses, ed. by Sara Radighieri, and Paul Tucker, 195–210. Roma: Officina Edizioni.Google Scholar
Barrot, Jessie S. 2021. “Scientific Mapping of Social Media in Education: A Decade of Exponential Growth.” Journal of Educational Computing Research 59 (4): 645–668. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Batlle, Jaume, and Mandy Deal. 2021. “Teacher Epistemic Stance as a Trouble in Foreign Language Classroom Interaction.” Journal of Pragmatics 1761: 15–25. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Bhatia, Aditi. 2018. “Interdiscursive Performance in Digital Professions: The Case of YouTube Tutorials.” Journal of Pragmatics 1241: 106–120. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Bhatia, Vijay K. 1995. “Genre-Mixing in Professional Communication: The Case of ‘Private Intentions’ v. ‘Socially Recognized Purposes’.” In Explorations in English for Professional Communication, ed. by Paul Bruthiaux, Tim Boswood, and Bertha Du-Babcock, 1–19. Hong Kong: City University of Hong Kong.Google Scholar
1997. “Genre-Mixing in Academic Introductions.” English for Specific Purposes 16 (3): 181–195. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2008. “Genre Analysis, ESP and Professional Practice.” English for Specific Purposes 27 (2): 161–174. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Bhatia, Vijay Kumar. 2014. Analysing Genre: Language Use in Professional Settings. London: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Bruen, Jennifer, and Niamh Kelly. 2017. “Using a Shared L1 to Reduce Cognitive Overload and Anxiety Levels in the L2 Classroom.” The Language Learning Journal 45 (3): 368–381. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Bulele, Yohana. 2020. “Analisis Fenomena Sosial Media Dan Kaum Milenial: Studi Kasus Tiktok.” Conference on Business, Social Sciences and Innovation Technology 11: 565–572.Google Scholar
Canani, Marco, and Tania Zulli. 2022. “ELT and Social Media: Integrating TikTok into Class Practice.” MediAzioni 341: 165–183.Google Scholar
Chaudron, Craig. 1988. Second Language Classrooms. Research on Teaching and Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Cialdini, Robert. 2016. Pre-suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade. New York: Simon and Schuster.Google Scholar
Crawford Camiciottoli, Belinda. 2008. “Interaction in academic lectures vs. written text materials: The case of questions.” Journal of Pragmatics 40(7): 1216–1231. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
De Bartolo, Anna Maria. 2004. Input and Interaction: Investigating EFL Italian University Classrooms. Alessandria: Rubbettino Editore.Google Scholar
De Veirman, Marijke, Veroline Cauberghe, and Liselot Hudders. 2017. “Marketing through Instagram Influencers: The Impact of Number of Followers and Product Divergence on Brand Attitude.” International Journal of Advertising 36 (5): 798–828. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Donato, Richard, and Frank Brooks. 2004. “Literary Discussions and Advanced Speaking Functions: Researching the (Dis) Connection.” Foreign Language Annals 37 (2): 183–199. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Drew, Christopher. 2017. “Educational Podcasts: A Genre Analysis.” E-Learning and Digital Media 14 (4): 201–211. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Fortanet, Inmaculada. 2004. “The Use of ‘we’ in University Lectures: Reference and Function.” English for Specific Purposes 231: 45–66. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Fung, Loretta, and Roland Carter. 2007. “Discourse Markers and Spoken English: Native and Learner Use in Pedagogic Settings.” Applied Linguistics 28(3): 410–439. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Georgakopoulou, Alexandra, and Tereza Spilioti, eds. 2015. The Routledge Handbook of Language and Digital Communication. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Gil-Quintana, Javier, and Emilio Vida de León. 2021. “Educational Influencers on Instagram: Analysis of Educational Channels, Audiences, and Economic Performance.” Publications 9(4): 43. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Gregory, Rebecca, Jessica Norledge, Peter Stockwell, and Pawel Szudarski. 2022. Digital Teaching for Linguistics. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Hall, Joan. 1995. “‘Aw, man, where we goin’?’ Classroom Interaction and the Development of L2 Interactional Competence.” Issues in Applied Linguistics 6(2): 37–62. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2004. “Language Learning as an Interactional Achievement.” The Modern Language Journal 88 (4): 607–612.Google Scholar
Hall, Joan, and Meghan Walsh. 2002. “Teacher-Student Interaction and Language Learning.” Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 221: 186–203. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Herring, Susan, Lois Scheidt, Sabrina Bonus, and Elijah Wright. 2005. “Weblogs as a Bridging Genre.” Information, Technology and People 18(2): 142–171. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Howard, Amanda. 2010. “Is there such a Thing as a Typical Language Lesson?” Classroom Discourse 1(1): 82–100. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hyland, Ken. 2005. “Stance and Engagement: A Model of Interaction in Academic Discourse.” Discourse Studies 7(2): 173–192. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2018. Metadiscourse: Exploring Interaction in Writing. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.Google Scholar
Jaakonmäki, Roope, Oliver Müller, and Jan Vom Brocke. 2017. “The Impact of Content, Context, and Creator on User Engagement in Social Media Marketing.” Paper presented at the 50th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICCS), January 2017, Hawaii, USA. DOI logo
Klippendorff, Klaus. 2018. Content Analysis: An Introduction to Its Methodology. New York: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Lemke, Jay. 1990. Talking Science: Language, Learning, and Values. Norwood: Ablex Publishing.Google Scholar
Lim, Jason. 2014. “Formulating Research Questions in Experimental Doctoral Dissertations on Applied Linguistics.” English for Specific Purposes 351: 66–88.
Marcelo-García, Carlos, and Paula Marcelo-Martínez. 2021. “Influencers Educativos en Twitter. Análisis de Hashtags y Estructura Relacional.” Comunicar 681: 73–83. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Markee, Numa. 2015. The Handbook of Classroom Discourse and Interaction. Haboken: John Wiley and Sons. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Pedrazzini, Luciana. 2017. “Dealing with Students’ Errors: Oral Corrective Feedback in the Italian EFL Classroom.” Altre Modernità: 98–117.Google Scholar
Reinhardt, Jonathon. 2019. “Social media in Second and Foreign Language Teaching and Learning: Blogs, Wikis, and Social Networking.” Language Teaching 52 (1): 1–39. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Richards, Jack, and Charles Lockhart. 1996. Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classrooms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Riordan, Elaine. 2018. Tesol Student Teacher Discourse: A Corpus-Based Analysis of Online and Face-to-Face Interactions. London: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Rymes, Betsy. 2020. How we Talk about Language: Exploring Citizen Sociolinguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Schellewald, Andreas. 2021. “Communicative Forms on TikTok: Perspectives from Digital Ethnography.” International Journal of Communication 151: 21.Google Scholar
Sinclair, John, and Malcolm Coulthard. 1975. Towards an Analysis of Discourse. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Swales, John. 1990. Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
. 2004. Research Genres: Explorations and Applications. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2014. “Genre and Discourse Community.” In The Discourse Studies Reader: Main Currents in Theory and Analysis, ed. by Johannes Anguemiller, Dominique Maingueneau, and Ruth Wodak, 306–316. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Tardy, Christine, and John Swales. 2014. “Genre Analysis.” Pragmatics of Discourse 31: 165. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Then, David Chen-On, and Su-Hie Ting. 2011. “Code-switching in English and Science Classrooms: More than Translation.” International Journal of Multilingualism 8(4): 299–323. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Thompson, Susan. 1998. “Why Ask Questions in Monologue? Language.” In Language at Work: Selected Papers from the Annual Meeting of the British Association for Applied Linguistics, ed. by Susan Hunston, 137–150. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
Thoms, Joshua. 2012. “Classroom Discourse in Foreign Language Classrooms: A Review of the Literature.” Foreign Language Annals 45(s1): s8–s27. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
TikTok. (2020, June 18). Bringing together entertainment and learning on TikTok. Accessed April 20, 2022. [URL]
Tolson, Andrew. 2010. “A New Authenticity? Communicative Practices on YouTube.” Critical Discourse Studies 7 (4): 277–289. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
van Balen, Johanna, Myrte Gosen, Siebrich de Vries, and Tom Koole. 2022. “‘What do You Think?’ How Interaction Unfolds Following Opinion-seeking Questions and Implications for Encouraging Subjectification in Education.” Linguistics and Education 691: 101037. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Van Houtte, Chantal. 2022. TikTok as a Marketing Channel for Influencer Marketing: A Comparison between Instagram, YouTube & TikTok. Münster: LIT Verlag.Google Scholar
Vandergriff, Ilona. 2016. Second-Language Discourse in the Digital World. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Vazquez-Calvo, Boris, Liudmila Shafirova, and Leticia-Tian Zhang. 2022. “Language Learning Hashtags on TikTok in Chinese, Italian, and Russian.” In Identity, Multilingualism and CALL, ed. by Liudmila Klimanova, 104–134. Sheffield: Equinox. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Willemsen, Annerose, Myrte Gosen, Tom Koole and Kees de Glopper. 2020. “Teachers’ Pass-on Practices in Whole-class Discussions: How Teachers Return the Floor to their Students.” Classroom Discourse 11(4): 297–315. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Cited by (1)

Cited by one other publication

Ven Ye Teh, Wendy & Lei Mee Thien
2024. Reaching Malaysian ESL students through Instagram stories - perceived effectiveness, language exposure and learner engagement: A structural equation modelling analysis. E-Learning and Digital Media DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 5 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.