PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF WHATSAPP CHATS

PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF WHATSAPP CHATS

CHAPITRE ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Study’s Background

One of the most intricate of all human-specific phenomena is language. Its jumbled up elements and meanings. It extends beyond its semiotic capability of communicating information at a communicative level to have an art form that exists solely by itself, known as literary art.

At the communicative level, it includes other instruments to enhance interlocution, such as voice modulation and pitch, gesticulations (which, for the sake of this study, include facial expressions), and feedback from the other person to clarify meanings and understanding. Language is constantly predicated on contextual sense making at the interpersonal level, as the intricacy of language bears on every statement.

Remove the verbal and personal organization of this semiotic speaking act, as well as all the other sense-making instruments that come with it. As a result, one risks being misinterpreted, which undermines the goal of interactions at all levels. However, with the advancement of technology, particularly in the telecommunications sector, people now rely heavily on texting, and instant messaging platforms are becoming increasingly popular across social classes, necessitating their acceptance for formal and informal purposes.

1.2 Problem Identification

The WhatsApp instant messaging program incorporates a two-way attempt to comprehend interlocution beyond the messages. As a result, features like as emojis and Smileys are added to improve comprehension, while short hands are also evolved and their meanings are learned by both users and new users. However, the texts still have a greater chance of making sense, as do users’ abilities to adjust to each other’s texting patterns. In any case, one relies heavily on context to make sense of what is read, and when this fails, one seeks clarification from the other person(s). This is the dilemma that prompted the current study: to conduct a pragmatic analysis of WhatsApp discussions.

1.3 Research Concerns

1.3.1 What are the most popular approaches for users to arrive at a contextual understanding of texts on the Application?

1.3.2 How far can the Contextual Theory of Semantics, with all of its flaws, bear on any study like this one?

1.3.3 What are the most common issues people have when it comes to making sense on the platform?

1.3.4 And how diverse are the texting styles in different regions?

1.4 The Study’s Objectives

The primary goal of this research is to provide a pragmatic analysis of the complexities of the WhatsApp instant messaging service. This would be accomplished by:

An identification of the different common approaches used by users in the process of making contextual meaning.

The study will go into great depth about the movement of contextual sense making among instant messaging app users. This explanation will look at these tactics as they gain popularity among a specific age group, typically millennials.

1.5 Importance of the Research

The current study work is extremely important, especially because it fills an intellectual gap that has been identified. The research will provide models for understanding WhatsApp chats and other discussions on similar platforms with similar features such as Imo, Instagram Direct Message, and Facebook Messenger in language studies, particularly the part that linguistics is mandated to investigate.

In the larger picture, and given the number of legal conversations that occur as a result of the app’s use, forensics and criminal law can benefit from the work done here in knowing how to handle talks of this type offered as evidence in a court action.

1.6 Hypothesis of Research

The premise that this research work is based on is that users of the instant messaging program WhatsApp use the contextual sense making process.

1.7 The Study’s Scope

The goal of this research is to figure out how sense making in WhatsApp discussions is influenced by message context. While the focus will be on WhatsApp, references to other instant messaging software, such as the Facebook Messenger app and Imo, will be made as the discussion progresses.

1.8 The Study’s Limitations

The main limits of this research endeavor are time constraints and the nature of the research, which would necessitate filtering through a random cross section of WhatsApp talks in order to better carry out the study, which would also necessitate a significant amount of time and money resources.

1.9 Glossary of Terms

Pragmatics

This is the discipline of linguistics that investigates how the context of texts and word usage influences their meanings.