New technology in vehicles is transforming the way people move around as well as what they do
in their vehicles. How does one communicate with an in-car speech system and how does this vary
by language or cultural community? This book explores this process by focusing on the
communication practices that people engage in when using their in-car systems and when talking
about their vehicles with co-passengers. Chapters present a robust theory and methodology for
studying communication in cars how tasks are begun and ended how people switch between tasks
how non-task talk appears what ways and styles of communication drivers prefer and how they
expect the system voice to respond among other things. Particular attention is given to
cultural preferences as they are evident in this communication these preferences are found to
ground various trajectories in the use and meaning of in-car communication practices. The book
explores these matters with a focus on the United States and Mainland China. Implications are
drawn for the design and utilization of in-car communication systems.
