Sessions

Keys to Becoming a Successful Communicator in Foreign Languages

It is often said that Japanese people tend to choose indirect speech for expressing disagreement or making requests. Even in scientific papers, they seem to conclude their discussions less assertively than their Western counterparts.

Would it be possible, then, for Japanese language learners to become fluent in oral and written communication by simply modifying their own communication strategies to be more indirect or less assertive?

Using the curriculum and sample course materials that he developed in the Technical Japanese Program at the University of Washington, the presenter discusses the importance and methodology of teaching the language in so-called small “c” culture - the acquired culture of verbal, non-verbal, and written communication.

Speakers

Masashi Kato