he English one is better … cause I can learn more English … and the kinds of friends I meet are
broader. The people come from different places. In that one [Chinese language chat rooms], it's
all Chinese who type in Chinese. They're all Chinese people who speak Chinese. (interview, June
6, 2001)
When I mentioned to the girls about the Chinese language chat room called Taishan chat room that some
of their friends were visiting, they said they knew about it but wanted to practice more English, since they
were always speaking Chinese already.
The girls pointed out that they felt more comfortable speaking English after joining the chat room. It
wasn't because they were then able to speak perfect English, but they had an easier time starting and
carrying on a conversation without worrying about the mistakes they made. In discussing how chatting
had made them feel braver in talking to people, the girls highlighted the oral aspect of their increased
sense of fluency in English and the importance of learning vernacular dialects, which they called "local
languages." Yu Qing said,