An analysis is presented of an electronic mail conversation that took place in a Finnish scholarly electronic mailing list. The data is analyzed within the framework of systemic-functional oriented discourse and the theory of register, which attempts to explain the ways language use varies according to the type of situation. The electronic media provides a new context for language use and conversation. The participants need not to be present at the same time in order to communicate, which relates e-mail communication to traditional letter writing. On the other hand, the fastness of transmission and reply relates it more to spoken interaction. Nevertheless, the textual nature of e-mail restricts the possibilities of conveying non-verbal and social cues that are typical for face-to-face interaction. These along with many other contextual features construct a special kind of conversation dealing with teaching and learning in higher educational contexts. The tenor of discourse was equal, cooperative, factual, and non-personal and the participant roles were negotiated during the conversation. The mode of discourse was more written than spoken-like but, on the other hand, the means of creating coherence resembled spoken interaction. (Author/VWL)