Suggestions in digital discourse: The case of MOOC reviews

Abstract

This study examines the speech act of suggestions in digital discourse through linguistic and functional approaches and explores how suggestions are performed along with co-occurring discourse-pragmatic particles, supporting moves, and aspects in their propositional content. More specifically, this paper presents findings regarding the speech act of suggestions in MOOC reviews as a recent and emerging genre of digital discourse. Embracing a discourse analytic perspective, this study indicates how suggestions are situated within the context they are used, and their multi-functionality is evidently relevant to the linguistic choices and supporting moves by MOOC learners, going beyond the utterance level meaning. Additionally, suggestion head acts involve certain aspects of online courses or their experience where learners often express their expectations or opinions for improvement. Overall, this study contributes to speech act research in digital discourse and provides insights into the use of suggestions in the discourse of MOOC reviews.