Sançak is an eight-year-old Turkish boy who has lived in the Netherlands for about five years. Approximate1y halfofthe children ofthe school he attends are ofTurkish or Moroccan nationality. Their fathers had come 10 the Netherlands as migrant workers, and later on their families came over. The language of [he classroom is Duteh, but rhe four Turkish chiJdren have one morning per week instructien in Turkish by a Turkish teacher (in a separate classroom). Sançak is a very sociable child, but most ofthe time he seeks the company ofMamouta, another Turkish boy. Although Mamouta generally prefers to speak Dutch, Sançak always speaks Turkish with him. Furthermore, he a150 counts in Turkish when he is doing arirhmeric. In his view his family will ‘soon’ return to Turkey, Turkish is a more beautifullanguage than Dutch, and he longs to live in Turkey. He is delighted when a Durch-speaking person asks something about Turkish er rries to 1earn a few Turkish words from him. Sançak is a lively, expressive child, but semenmes rather disobedient. When he goes against the rules of the classroom, and the teacher reprimands him, or when something is going on which he does not like at all, he can suddenly burst out in a stream of Turkish (though he always speaks Durch with the Dutch teacher). When children are singing Dutch songs with the teacher Sançak may jump up from his chair and start singing (and dancing) a Turkish song.

Evidently, Turkish has a special meaning Ier Sançak. Ir is the language in which he is most fluent, and when he uses it wirh Mamouta, he can have Mamouta (who is bis best friend) all to himself because there are nc other Turkish boys in the classroom. But perhaps more importantly, somerimes he does not use Turkish to convey a message but only to mark his own identity as a Turkish boy who does not agree with the course of events in the Dutch classroom. In singing a Turkish song Sançak demonstratea a part of Turkish culture, ofwhich he seems te be rather proud.

Language is not only an instrument for rhe communication of messages.