Youth Language as an Interactional Resource in Japanese L2 Interaction A Conversation Analytic Study of International Students

Abstract

This study examines the use and communicative functions of youth-language-like expressions (wakamono kotoba: 若者ことば), referring to forms used by L2 speakers that share interactional functions with youth language but may differ from native-speaker usage in distribution and sociolinguistic nuance, in Japanese L2 interaction among international students in Japan. While previous studies have primarily focused on lexical and descriptive aspects of youth language, limited attention has been paid to its role in naturally occurring interaction, particularly among second language (L2) speakers. To address this gap, the present study analyzes Japanese-language conversations conducted exclusively among international students using Japanese as a second language. Adopting a conversation-analytic approach combined with post-conversation interviews, the study investigates how such expressions emerge in L2 interaction and function as interactional resources. The analysis identifies multiple communicative functions, including facilitating conversation, conveying imagery, fostering solidarity, and hedging speaker stance. Expressions such as intensifiers (e.g., chō (超), metcha (めっちゃ)) and sentence-final forms (e.g., -toka (～とか)) contribute to conversational flow, alignment, and stance negotiation. The findings suggest that youth-language-like expressions are actively used by L2 speakers as interactional resources in peer interaction, indicating that such usage is not limited to native speakers but also emerges in L2-only conversational settings. These results contribute to research on youth language and L2 interaction by highlighting how speakers draw on informal linguistic resources to co-construct interaction.