Because-Prefaced Utterances (BPUs) in Child Interaction

With a few notable exceptions (e.g., Li, 2016 ; Kyratzis et al, 1990 , 2010 ), language and social interaction scholarship on the discourse marker because has been scarce since Schiffrin's (1987) . Based on mealtime interaction that involves a child at the age 3 and then 8 in interaction with her parents, this conversation analytic study shows how because-prefaced utterances (BPU) are in part deployed to privilege the child's own knowledge, interests, and perspectives. Findings of this study contribute to the small body of literature on the discourse marker because by describing some of its previously undocumented use by children in naturally occurring interaction.