Svitlana Klötzl received her PhD from the University of Vienna. Her research interests include discourse analysis, English as a lingua franca, applied linguistics, and private couple interaction. Her publications include articles in Journal of English as a Lingua Franca, Discourse and interaction, and a chapter in Globalisation: Myth or Reality?Birgit Swoboda is a freelance researcher publishing and presenting on language use in computer-games. She studied English Linguistics and History at the University of Vienna and holds a PhD degree (thesis title: L2P n00b – The pragmatics of positioning in MMORPGs). Her research focus is CMC, politeness and positioning theory.

• Table of Contents Chapter OneINTRODUCTION: from text to discourseWhy English as a lingua franca?Why ingame (disembodied) interaction?Why ELF couple interaction?Two domains – the same basic issuesOutlineChapter TwoTHE DISCOURSE OF ELFChannelCodeContextParticipantsConclusionChapter ThreeCOMMUNICATION AS POSITIONINGCommunication as "a meaningful whole"Positioning as polyphonyBakhtin’s voicePositioning as Bakhtin’s dialogicalityPositioning TheoryPositioning in the social sciencesPositioning and the facePositioning as politeness: personal wants and other motivationsPositioning as involvement and independence: pro-social and relational approachesThe co-operative and territorial imperativesConclusionChapter FourPOSITIONING AS POLYPHONIC METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHMethodological issues: "a paradox of irreducible subjectivity"Research design: triangulated inquiryGamer-participantsCouples-participantsCouple 1. Nargiz (Ukrainian) and Dan (French) (C1/ua-fr)Couple 2. Sue (Israeli) and Henry (Austrian) (C2/il-au)Couple 3. Sandy (Italian) and Peter (Austrian) (C3/it-au)Couple 4. Monica (Austrian) and Patrick (Czech) (C4/au-cz)Couple 5. Anna (Austrian) and Paul (Hungarian) (C5/au-hu)Ingame dataThird-person data: self-compiled corpus of ingame and out-game interactionSecond-person data: questionnaireFirst-person data: critical incident logCouple dataThird-person data: corpus of couples’ self-recordingsSecond-person data: interviews and participants’ commentsFirst-person data: the researcher’s diary and field notesSummary and conclusionChapter FiveDISEMBODIED COMMUNICATION: Positioning in computer-mediated gaming discourseIntroductionMMORPGs and its communicationCommunication channels and their functionsAspects and challengesPlaces and positions in gamingThe gamers' motivationsFinding place and assigning placeIngame positioningLFG (Looking for group) sequences: finding help and grouping ingameTrollingGriefingWiping: the death of all party membersConclusionChapter SixA LOVE AFFAIR WITH ELF: positioning as interpersonal dynamics in ELF couple discourseIntroduction"What מאמי /mami/?": achieving meaning in couple talk"Schatzi what does your mother do there eigentlich": use of language to the pragmatic effect of togetherness"This dog is a topic": ‘others’ as interactional resource in the process of establishing coupleness"Lustig mein mann ist": intertextuality as an interactive resource in ELF couple talk"Mucho bueno": achieving ‘coupleness’ through representational function of couples’ ELFConclusion: ELF as "refuge in this little world of ours"Chapter SevenCONCLUSION: Positioning as a universal process of human communication

Select Guide Rating