Multimodal discourse analysis of popular Chinese and American livestreamers from Taobao and Amazon: Li Jiaqi and Brittany Vasseur

With the rapid development of the internet, livestreaming commerce has emerged as a novel business model, demonstrating remarkable phenomenon-level influence. Current literature reveals a scarcity of comparative studies on Chinese and American streamer discourse, particularly those focusing on systematic analysis at the multimodal level. This study addresses this gap in the research, providing insights into the distinctive features of streamer discourse. The study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the verbal and non-verbal expressions of phenomenon-level streamers from a multimodal perspective. Grounded in multimodal discourse analysis theory, this research focuses on examining the thematic words and syntax of the language used by the streamers, while also considering non-verbal elements. The research methodology mainly employs text analysis to extract thematic vocabulary from livestreaming content, analyzing its frequency and function within the discourse. Through comparative analysis, the study aims to uncover the similarities and differences in discourse construction between the Chinese and American streamers. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to a deeper understanding of the emerging phenomenon of livestreaming commerce, offering theoretical support for cross-cultural communication and market practices, and providing guidance for Chinese streamers entering foreign markets.