【Date】 Oct 30, 2014 (Thu) 5:00-6:00 p.m.

【Venue】 Ground Floor, Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, The University of Tokyo

【Speaker】 Rika YAMASHITA（JSPS Fellow）

【Title】 Quoting in Urdu: Bilingual conversation of Pakistani children in Japan

【Abstract】
What makes bilingual speakers switch between languages in a conversation? Many non-Japanese children who attend state schools in Japan are said to be dominant speakers of Japanese, and speak less of their parents\’ heritage language. Such is also the case with the bilingual Pakistani children who gather in a mosque classroom in Kanto area. However, the Pakistani children do occasionally use Urdu, especially in quotations. Quoting in Urdu not only has on-spot pragmatic functions in conversation, but is also part of the larger process of their reaffirmation of social relationships with their peers and the older generation. This presentation will give turn-by-turn analyses of conversational episodes, which offer us a peek into the everyday experience as migrant Muslim children in Japan.

【Commentator】 Katsuo Nawa (Professor, The University of Tokyo)

※ The lecture will be in Japanese, but English handouts are also available.