A discourse theory view of dialects and Japanese language education

Abstract

　Dialect is a term for varieties of language that are distinguished according to various criteria, and encompasses social and functional dialects in addition to regional dialects.

　In contemporary Japan, an individual belongs to numerous social groupings, choosing and switching dialects for communication according to regional and social structures. Accordingly, the conventional view of dialects merely as regional features that may be learned in addition to the standard language is insufficient.

　In order to speak a second language appropriately, instruction is necessary not just for the meaning of linguistic features, but also for how to encode a message in a way appropriate to the discourse context. In so doing, it is necessary to consider how actions can take on different meanings depending on the region or social grouping, and become aware of how their dialects signify actions and conceptualize situations, and link this awareness to actual speech acts. Language is not just an autonomous system, but one that is used in conjunction with actual social and regional conditions.