Children's use of the masu form in play scenes

Abstract

Much of social science research argues that young children lack the ability to fully participate in social interactions. Even so, some studies demonstrate the contrary by examining children's sociolinguistic competence and claiming that such views underestimate children's capability. This study will further explore the issue, by focusing on Japanese children's use of two kinds of copula/verb forms with different indexical meanings (i.e., the masu form and the plain form). The meanings and the motivation for the choice involve sociocultural and interactional features. The forms themselves are critical because they require of speakers the ability to choose appropriate forms, drawing on their underlying language socialization as they do so. The present study discusses child–child interactions in play scenes, which provide a unique opportunity for discovery because child–child play scenes, unlike the caregiver–child interactions illustrated in previous studies, allow for greater role flexibility. The discriminating use of the two forms by the subjects according to social roles chosen in the scenes suggests that by the age of 3, Japanese children have acquired tacit sociocultural knowledge of appropriate usage. This study demonstrates the fundamentals of style-mixing using the two forms and suggests that children are selective and active participants in language practices.