| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立中山大學 === 外國語文學系研究所 === 101 === This study aimed to investigate the text-based role players’ use of various language plays to illustrate their characters on the basis of post-colonial performativity (Pennycook, 2000, 2001), investment (Norton, 1995), and language play (Cook, 1997; Crystal, 2001). Guided by this purpose, this study conducted a qualitative ethnography study, addressing the following three research questions:
1. What language plays do role players adopt in text-based role play games?
2. Why do role players utilize a blend of languages in an English-dominated gaming site?
3. How are the language plays related to role players’ performance of various character identities?
This study focused on one participant, Aves, and her three focal original characters used in text-based role play activity in the interactive online gaming forum, Gaia Online. The data collection included a basic personal information survey, online semi-structured interview, observation of two role plays, and informal exchanges between the researcher and participants. Glaser and Strauss’ (1967) constant comparison method was adopted for the data analysis.
The finding of the data reported that Aves performed multiple character identities and constructed the role play world as an alternate reality through her use of various language plays, including hybridity of languages, selection of diction for portraying character action, contrasting styles of character speech and use of words with double meanings. Based on the findings, this study discussed two foci: (1) Post-colonial performativity in text-based role play games, in relation to (i) stylistic and tone as methods of character appropriation, (ii) character language plays as Aves’ methods of resistance to site linguistic norms, and (iii) character identities as Aves’ methods of resistance to her own national identity; and (2) language plays in online gaming contexts, which extended the concept of language plays to online contexts and discussed the functions of online language plays.
To extend the scope of language play and to more profoundly investigate the activity of text-based role playing, the researcher suggests several aims for future research: (1) examining language plays and performance of character identities in role players with different nationality backgrounds and perceptions of characters, (2) contrasting the language plays adopted by role players when they post as their characters and when they are not engaging in role play activities, (3) investigating the affordances of text-based role play games, (4) exploring the possibility to address multimodal language plays, (5) exploring the language plays involved in metagaming (Steinkuehler, 2007) activities, and (6) contrasting the role players’ perspectives towards leisure writing and academic writing. Two practical implications of text-based role playing and language play are also suggested based on the discussion of this study: (1) Online text-based games can provide new platforms to formal writing activities, and provide new view points on collaborative writing and unstructured writing. (2) Allowing language learners to assume fictive identities through role playing or creative writing may provide them with opportunities to trial with methods of language appropriations to perform new identities.
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