A Pragmatic Analysis of Conversational Openings in WhatsApp Dialogues

The conversational structure and, more specifically, the procedures for starting a conversation, have been analysed from different theoretical perspectives, fundamentally based on oral corpora. The arrival of new digital communication systems has made it possible for speakers to chat through other channels, such as WhatsApp. In this article, we consider if the forms of expression used to start a conversation on WhatsApp are similar to those that appear in a prototypical colloquial conversation or if, on the contrary, new linguistic resources have emerged. To answer this question, we apply the theoretical model of pragmatic linguistics (Fuentes Rodriguez 2000) in the analysis of a corpus of WhatsApp conversations. Ultimately, we aim to offer an approach to the nature of the digital communication that takes place on this instant messaging platform, which seems to prioritize maintaining the speech continuity of the entire interaction over the delimitation of conversational units.