Japanese Self-Reference Expressions: Choice and Stancetaking

In the framework of sociolinguistics, authentic language "produced in authentic contexts by authentic speakers" (Bucholtz, 2003, p. 398) has been the subject of much investigation.At the same time, the accumulation of research on style has revealed that people construct their identities through language practices.By choosing certain languages, styles, and/or words in particular ways, speakers establish particular identities, while, at the same time, these identities are established through the languages they use.In other words, we choose certain expressions among the many that are available in order to "fashion selves" (Eckert & McConnell-Ginet, 2013, p. 47).However, we are not free agents who can choose any expression whatsoever to convey what we want to say.As Milani and Johnson (2010, p. 4) pointed out, not all choices are ranked equally.Certain languages, dialects, and/or words are given prestigious labels, while others, due to social, cultural, political, and economic factors, are not.The rich pool of Japanese self-reference expressions (SREs; i.e., the expressions with which a speaker refers to themself), are no exception.Unlike English, which provides a speaker with only one first-person singular pronoun, "I," Japanese offers a wide variety of first-person singular pronouns and nominal expressions for referring to oneself. 1 A speaker chooses one among the rich pool 1 In order to refer to a speaker, the Japanese language provides speakers with some nominal expressions, such as one's own name, kinship terms such as oksan (mother), Japanese Self-Reference Expressions: Choice and Stancetaking Kyoko SATOH 95 2020Vol.72 No.122 Minimization is a preference for using a single reference form: "on occasions when reference is to be done, it should be preferredly be done with a single reference form," and recipient design is a preference for easy recognition: "if they are possible, prefer recognition" (Sacks & Schegloff, 1979, p. 24).