The present study has emerged from observations of videotaped data
in which Japanese children and their caregivers are engaged
in real-life activities such as eating and playing. In these
recordings I noticed recurrence of a particular turn format
involving uses of the particle wa by the children. Namely, wa often
appears at the end of a turn produced with question intonation.
The present study is concerned with showing that there are
certain patterns in the sequences involving such uses of wa,
and with reporting exactly how these wa-ending turns are used in
interactional situations in which participants carry out
real life goals. In particular, I will argue that the child uses of
wa-ending turns described in this study primarily rely on the
prospective-linking effect that these wa-ending turns
can accomplish. I will further discuss some aspects of
intersubjectivity manifested in the ways wa-ending turns are used
by the children and the adults.
1. questions on the EM concept of 'relevance'.
These questions were generated by some points made by Jeff Coulter and involve relevance and the necessity of describing context in order to understand interaction. My questions will concern the nature of 'relevance' and its relation to ethnography.
If there is time, I will continue with 2 below:
2. I will present some data related to the Wertschian concepts of ''Referential Perspective' and 'Abbreviation' in relation to the Vygotskian concept of learning. Referential perspective is the perspective created by a speaker when he or she refers to an object. For example, we can call an object on a table 'the apple g3 computer'. A phrase which contains much information. Or, we can call it 'that', which contains less information. The claim is that greater intersubjectivity is indicated when 'that' is used. As for Abbreviation, this involves leaving out explicit instructions and expecting the listener to understand in a task context. For example in a task context where A is teaching B how to use a computer and software, A may say in the beginning "Turn on the computer, open the software, create a file", but later these explicit instructions may become abbreviated and A may only say, "OK, create a file". "Turn on the computer" and "Open the software" are now implied, and hence learned.