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

This 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.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Alabama Libraries

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Amackson, Emmanuel S.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Poole, Robert

Contributors dc:contributor

• Selvi, Ali Fuad
• Pritzker, Sonya

• Collaborative Gaming
• Digital game-based langauge learning
• Gesture
• Interactional Strategies
• Language-Related Episodes
• Negotiation for meaning

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Language dc:language.iso

en_US, English

Dc Identifier Other

1141732

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ir.ua.edu:123456789/16672