'Say can I borrow it': Teachers and children managing peer conflict in a Japanese preschool

How do young children learn to manage peer conflict in preschool? While conflict is an essential part of relationships in every social domain (family, school, work, etc.), learning how to engage in and resolve conflict is a culturally and situationally variable activity. This paper examines mediated forms of peer conflict initiated by adults and children in a Japanese preschool. Taking the theoretical perspective of language socialization, the analysis draws upon 48 hours of audio-visual recordings of naturally occurring interactions over nine months. By focusing on the role of triadic mediation in dealing with interpersonal conflict, the analysis demonstrates teachers' use of prompting and reported speech as mediators, and children's acquisition of particular linguistic and cultural practices that display knowledge of social norms in managing social relationships and constructing their social worlds. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.