Christopher J. Jenks is an Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics at University of South Dakota. His research deals primarily with computer-mediated communication, intercultural communication, English as a lingua franca, and second language acquisition. Other research expertise includes epistemological and methodological issues in applied linguistics research. He publishes widely in top international journals and is currently working on several book-length publications.

• Preface; Part I: Survey; 1. Introduction to the Book; 2. Social Interaction and Chat Rooms; 3. CMC and Applied Linguistics; 4. Introduction to CMSI; Part II: Analysis; 5. Talking Online: CMSI Features; 6. Turn-Taking in Chat Rooms: Texting versus Talking; 7. Contextual Challenges in CMSI; Part III: Application; 8. Teaching and Learning; 9. Social and Cultural Issues; 10. Discussion and Conclusion; References; Index

This book is an invaluable resource for social science students, specifically those interested in the areas of applied linguistics and intercultural communication. Overall it is quite accessible event to those who do not have a good grasp of areas such as conversation analysis and online communication. There is hardly any assumption of prior knowledge as it makes sure all terminology is extensively defined and the literature of the different fields well reviewed and contextualised.