FLEAT VI

This study investigates the power relation and identity shaping in the discourse of none native English speakers communicating with native English speakers in an international study consultancy Facebook page. This communication is interesting and important to be studied for several reasons. First, the popularity of social networking websites especially Facebook and their use by ESL (English as a Second Language) learners. Second, the analysis of this type of conversation mediated in technology in this context is essential to understand the power relations and the nature of the discursive practices used by ESL learners when they interact with English native speakers. Three questions guided this study: 1) what is the type of discourse involved between U.S international academic advisers and none native speakers (NNS) students in an online environment? 2) How does the online environment of this discourse affect the interaction of NNS and how power relations play a part in mediating this discourse and negotiating meaning? 3) What, if any, pedagogical implications does this kind of discourse have for ESL classrooms. The analysis followed Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) approach. This qualitative study follows Fairclough’s three dimension model in analyzing the data which is a set of transcripts of a synchronous Facebook communication. Findings show there is a positive identify shaping and power relation in this kind of communication resulting in potential pedagogical implication in ESL classrooms.