Abstract This study explores the communicative functions of the “thumbs up” sign – both as emoji and as photographic gesture – in two instant messaging (IM) family chats. Drawing on a single case study of a Finnish/Swedish bilingual family in Finland, the analysis examines 28 instances of the Thumbs Up emoji and 13 photographs depicting the THUMBS UP gesture. Using a multimodal discourse analytical framework, the study identifies four primary functions: family management, positive appraisal, encouragement and goodwill, and sharing experience. While the emoji Thumbs Up typically appeared in response slots – either standing alone or reinforcing preceding verbal language – the THUMBS UP photographs often initiated exchanges and commented on offline activities. The findings reveal how visual composition, gesture salience, and facial expression contribute to meaning-making in photographs, offering richer emotional nuance than an emoji alone. The study also uncovers a culture-specific Finnish use of THUMBS UP to express encouragement. By situating thumbs-based signs within the online/offline nexus of family life, the research highlights how digital and embodied modes of communication intertwine. The paper contributes to the understanding of emblems in digital discourse and suggests that gesture-based emojis and their photographic counterparts merit further comparative investigation across platforms, cultures, and generations.
This article examines modality in Chilean Spanish from a Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) perspective, using the Introduction to Report of the Commission of Historical Truth and New Deal with Indigenous Peoples (2008) as its data corpus. While descriptions of modality in Spanish remain limited, we address this gap by analysing congruent and metaphorical realisations of modality and their role in authorial stances in the construction of historical interpretations. The analysis focuses on the Report's Introduction, which outlines key historical periods and justifies their significance. Instances of modality are described by type, value, and realisation, and their contribution to authorial stances is interpreted within the engagement system. The findings reveal a patterned interplay between contraction and expansion of the dialogic space: probability and obligation with high values consolidate authority and present claims as necessary and indisputable, while lower values of obligation, ability, and inclination expand the dialogic space, allowing alternative perspectives and softening categorical assertions. Spanish-specific realisational strategies also support nuanced positioning, enabling the authors to foreground or background the modal responsible, shift focus from capacity to potentialities, and present intentions indirectly. Overall, the study contributes to SFL-based descriptions of modality in Chilean Spanish and provides a framework for analysing historical and official reports.
Instant messaging (IM) has become an integral part of professional communication in the Netherlands, yet its role in institutional interaction remains understudied. This study examines IM in pediatric rehabilitation, where professionals and parents of children with developmental disabilities use IM to communicate and collaborate. Our data comprises naturally occurring IM group chats in Siilo, an instant messaging (IM) app designed for healthcare professionals. The chats we studied were group chat exchanges between three pairs of parents and multiple paramedical health care professionals over a period of three months. Using a qualitative approach based on digital conversation analysis, we identify four key courses of action accomplished in IM interaction: (1) continuous progress reporting; (2) instructing parents on implementing care at home; (3) integrating children's experiences into therapy; and (4) displaying and transferring responsibilities. Our findings demonstrate that IM extends communication beyond clinical settings, facilitating real-time interaction, asynchronous coordination, and multimedia-enhanced collaboration. This allows for a more dynamic and responsive caregiving process, bridging institutional and home environments. However, it also raises questions about communicative burdens and professional boundaries. By situating IM use within an affordance framework, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of mediated communication in healthcare contexts.
This study employs a combination of diachronic discourse analysis and statistical methods to examine three Chinese historical biographies from distinct historical periods, with genre evolution, hybridity, and heterogeneity closely examined to elucidate the dynamic interplay between textual practices, the enactment of social actions, and sociohistorical forces. The analysis reveals that Chinese historical biographies exhibit pronounced hybridity, integrating five text types: narrative, evaluative, argumentative, explanatory, and expository. Diachronic heterogeneity is manifest in linguistic features and the relative emphasis on specific social actions of establishing value, disseminating knowledge, and entertaining readers. It is also found that the evolution, hybridity and heterogeneity of these biographies and their associated social actions can be attributed to the dominant ideologies - nationalism, truth-seeking, and sensationalism - that were prevalent during their respective periods of composition in China.
This study examines the use of lexical resources, specifically stance markers and discourse markers, to discuss scientific uncertainty in interactions between scientists and Committee members during Congressional hearing question-and-answer sessions in the USA. A corpus of 150 transcripts from hearings on climate change, emerging diseases, and genetic engineering is examined utilizing discourse analysis and interactional sociolinguistics. In focusing on how differences in lexical resources represent differences in the conceptualizations of scientific uncertainty, the analysis identifies important linguistic differences that may lead to the politicization of science. The findings show that the conceptualizations of scientists and Committee members do not always align and that the discourse marker, well, plays a role in identifying misalignments. The study emphasizes the importance of continued research on the role of stance markers in meaning-making associated with scientific uncertainty, thus contributing to the broader understanding of the influence of expert versus nonexpert identities on word choice.
