This paper investigates the phenomenon of mode-switching, or a quasi-synchronous shift of linguistic mode by a speaker in interaction. Video recordings of three World of Warcraft players are analyzed to determine the motivations for mode-switching. Ultimately, the driving force for mode-switches is a shifting participation framework; speakers use a mode which corresponds to the intended audience for their talk. Each mode has certain of topics which are appropriate for the audience present in that mode, and speakers shift between the modes seamlessly in interaction to address each of these sets of participants. The norms for the uses of modes must be learned by speakers and deployed properly in order for a speaker to be considered a competent member of the community. Mode-switching is compared to the processes of code-switching and style-shifting and is found to have numerous similarities, suggesting that the three phenomena are variations of a larger process of variety-changing.
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