Job Discussion Forums

[matador]

Old topic but still puzzles me a bit. Why do some of my students often preface answers with "Japanese people think that...". I am looking for my students to answer with their opinion not some homogenized generalization.

Is it cultural conditioning by the media/education system? Its not a big deal...but it does get a bit tiring after a while! I flipped it round and tried answering it from my background "English people think that..." and it sounded a bit silly. But...as Japan is a very homogeneous place (how many non-Japanese do you see each day going to work...?) maybe its an appropriate way to answer! Maybe the shyness factor means people dont want to express opinions....?

Examples...

How was your weekend? Most Japanese people sleep at the weekend and go to shopping .

Do you prefer cappuccino or latte? Most Japanese people drink green tea.

Have you been to Thailand? Most Japanese people do not know about Thailand.

Etc.

I dont think its going to change any time soon. But I have seen the same pattern since I started teaching in Japan in 1993 and wondered if there was an updated 2012 way of looking at this.

Many thunks!

[Inflames]

I have to admit, I've only had this once or twice from students. However, students aren't answering the question - they're answering the question they think you're asking. I simply pointed this out and we practiced coming up with acceptable answers.

The last time I had a student give an answer with "we Japanese" the other students laughed at them. Some students might not like having their errors pointed out but I don't hesitate to do so. Alternatively, I have been known to give evasive answers with students who don't quite pick up on things.

[Glenski]

The Japanese are not as homogeneous a population as they are sometimes made out to be. Keep that in mind.

I think people who answer with "we" are doing so unconsciously, and it may be a cultural idiosyncracy stemming from avoiding a loss of face by giving a single person's viewpoint. It's also ingrained into the writing system to be more indirect, so that seeps into answers. Remember, too, that Japanese tend not to use a lot of personal pronouns (EDIT: formerly and incorrectly written as "personal prepositions").

[steki47]

[ultraman111]

Maybe, just maybe....they are low level learners still and are using the translation method of understanding a foreign language.

Ware ware nihonjin wa .................etc etc

Its a valid way to begin understanding another language.....with time they eventually realise and adjust accordingly.

[Glenski]

[G Cthulhu]

[ultraman111]

Well, in my experience it isnt the case with all levels. When I was teaching the engineers and office staff at Toyota none of them spoke like that at all.....and they were about intermediate level...

I have found it predominately in lower level learners who translate what they think word for word and say it in the other language (which doesnt work properly but is an OK start to communicating imo)

[spiral78]

I'm just dropping in and became interested as there is some comparison between Japanese English language students and those from other countries (my experience with Japanese students is limited to a few regular groups visiting Europe for short study programmes).

However, I think that to some degree Hofstede's cultural dimensions might come into play on this issue (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofstede's_cultural_dimensions_theory) The Japanese do seem to rate as more oriented towards the 'collective' as versus the 'individualistic' in terms of society. This would certainly impact both concepts and word choice in some areas and at some levels.

On another topic, Glenski, I'm just slightly puzzled by this:

[Glenski]

Doh!

Personal pronouns. Sorry and thanks. It's been a LONG week, month, year.

[spiral78]

I had fun thinking of stuff like

Denise + beneath = deneath
Saul Bellow + below = S'bellow
Beyonce + beyond = beyonde



But I'm a word geek, and these are far too strained to be really cool anyway

[teacheratlarge]

[matador]

Another thing I picked up on is putting "Japanese" in front of a lot of items.

Examples:

"Its made with Japanese lettuce".
"What do you think of Japanese snow?".
"Can you use Japanese chopsticks?"

Etc.

There seems to be an inbuilt understanding that "Japanese" is unique from other versions of items. Admittedly, there are regional variations in things. But it seems stronger in Japan than anywhere else I have been.

[the4th2001]

[steki47]