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Please take your time to read through it.
Have you ever had a similar experience?
- No matter how much I study English, I don’t feel like I’m able to speak it!
- I’ve practiced phonics and shadowing a lot, but I still can’t understand anything!
- I’m starting to worry if my current study method is really okay!
But don’t worry.
In this article, I’ll introduce plenty of information that you won’t find anywhere else, such as:
- About language differences in culture and communication!
- About the differences in communication styles between Japanese and English!
- About the differences between low-context culture and high-context culture!
- About the effects of being aware of low-context and developing an English brain!
And more. Please take your time to read it.
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Introduction
High-context culture refers to a culture that tries to understand information and meaning not only through words but also through non-verbal elements.
Japan belongs to a high-context culture, and in Japanese, in addition to words, facial expressions, tone of voice, the situation, and human relationships have great meaning.
For example, even if you say “yes,” it does not necessarily have a positive meaning depending on the other person’s facial expression and the atmosphere of the situation.
On the other hand, low-context culture is a culture that tries to understand information and meaning mainly through words.
Western countries and English-speaking cultures are low-context cultures, and they require that spoken words be direct and clear.
For example, when you say “Yes” in English, it generally means simply positive, and information is conveyed depending on the word itself.
In this way, there are big differences in communication styles between high-context cultures and low-context cultures.
Differences in Communication Styles between Japanese and English.
When communicating with other Japanese people, it is common to try to understand meanings not only from words, but also from non-verbal elements such as facial expressions, tone of voice, and context.
For example, when you say “thank you” in Japanese, the tone of voice and facial expressions convey the degree of gratitude and feelings.
When speaking English in this way, you may try to convey more than the meaning of the words by using facial expressions and tone of voice.
However, because English-speaking people place more importance on the words themselves, such indirect expressions often do not get across well.
For example, in English, when you say “thank you,” the words themselves basically mean gratitude, and tone of voice and facial expressions are rarely used to convey additional nuances.
On the other hand, in low-context cultures, expressions are very direct because the words themselves carry information and meaning.
Context and non-verbal elements are not given much importance.
In addition, in English-speaking countries, it is common to look the other person in the eye during a conversation.
This is understood as a way to show respect and interest.
However, for many Japanese people, this style can seem like boxers glaring at each other before a match, and many people may not be used to it.
Because of this, Japanese people may feel confused by the direct expressions and eye contact when speaking English.
Be Conscious of Direct Expression
In English conversation, it is very important to convey information and meaning clearly.
For example, in Japanese, any part or word in a sentence can be used as the subject.
Also, in Japanese, when you say “eat,” the person who ate can be inferred from the context and situation.
However, while it has this flexibility, Japanese can also be said to be a very ambiguous language.
On the other hand, in English, which is a representative of a low-context culture, the subject is limited to those who clearly perform an action or are in that situation.
In English, it is necessary to clearly indicate who did what, such as with “I ate” or “She ate.”
This is why English is said to be a verb-centered language.
In English, the relationship between the subject and verb is clear, so there is less ambiguity.
For example, if you say “Go?” in Japanese, the other person may wonder, “Who? Where?”, but in English, the subject and action are made clear, such as with “Are you going?”
Japanese has fewer such concepts and can be used more flexibly, whereas English requires clearer expressions and you need to be conscious of speaking directly.
Cultivate Logical Thinking and Analytical Skills
When using English, logical thinking is often required.
In other words, it is important that the flow of the conversation is orderly and the reasons and conclusions are clear.
By cultivating logical thinking and analytical skills, you will be able to adapt to the communication style of English-speaking countries, which are low-context cultures.
In Japanese, context and background are very important, and the meaning is conveyed depending on the flow of the conversation and the other person’s position.
For example, in Japanese, saying “Sou desune” (I agree) can mean not only agreement, but also objection or doubt in some cases.
The nuance of this meaning is determined by the context and the relationship with the other person.
However, in English, context and background are not as important.
Instead, what is said is expected to be direct.
For example, saying “Yes” simply means affirmation and has no further implications.
For this reason, it is important to clearly communicate in English “why you think so” and “how you came to that conclusion.”
By acquiring logical thinking, communication in English will proceed smoothly and there will be fewer misunderstandings.
Assert Your Own Opinion
In English, it is very important to express your own opinion and thoughts clearly.
By clearly expressing your thoughts, communication will proceed more smoothly.
For example, in a meeting, clearly stating your opinion by saying, “I believe this approach is the best because…” will help other people understand your opinion.
It is also important to respect others in English.
When expressing your opinion, being polite and respectful of the other person’s opinion will help communication go more smoothly.
For example, by first accepting the other person’s opinion and then stating your own, such as saying, “I understand your point, but I think…”, you can build a relationship of mutual respect.
In English, such direct and polite expressions are required and are the foundation of communication.
Study English with low context in mind
When studying English, it is recommended that you study with low context culture in mind.
Low context is a culture in which information and meaning are entrusted to the words themselves, and English is a typical example of this.
As a result, in English, it is necessary to express words directly and clearly.
First, it is important to clearly understand the meaning of words and how to combine them.
Specifically, it is important to understand the five basic sentence structures of English (S: subject, V: verb, O: object, C: complement, M: modifier).
Since English is a language centered on verbs (V), it is important to be aware of who is performing the action, that is, what the subject (S) is.
For example, when translating the sentence “Watashi wa ringo wo taberu.” into English, it becomes “I eat an apple.”
In this case, “I” is the subject (S), “eat” is the verb (V), and “an apple” is the object (O).
You can see that the subject and verb are paired.
In English, a subject (S) and a verb (V) are always used together, so you need to keep this in mind when constructing sentences.
Japanese is a flexible language that allows you to omit the subject and verb and still get your point across, but this is not the case in English.
For example, in Japanese, you can simply say “taberu” (ate) and it will be understood as subject is I, but in English, you need to state the subject as well, saying “I ate an apple.”
It is important to fully understand this difference.
Also, when translating Japanese sentences into English, you need to pay attention to the structure of the sentence.
In Japanese, there is a tendency to explain the situation before getting into the main topic, but in English, the opposite is true: you state the main topic (gist) first and then explain the situation.
For example, when translating “The earthquake broke the wall of my house” into English, you need to clearly state the subject (S) and verb (V) before adding an explanation, as in “The earthquake broke the wall of my house.”
When learning English as an extension of entrance exam English, you often end up being dragged down by Japanese grammar, such as translating sentences backwards.
However, in English, you are always required to first clarify what the verb (V) is and who the subject (S) is that does it.
Studying with this awareness will help you acquire the logical and clear expressions that are unique to English.
When trying to convey the message that “the wall of your house was destroyed by the earthquake,” I think most Japanese people would first think of the word as “the wall of my house.”
Therefore, the combination would be “My house’s wall” → “break” → “the earthquake,” which is clearly incorrect.
It does not follow the basic principle that the thing that does the V (verb) is the S (subject).
Summary
In this article, I discussed the key points for understanding low-context English and methods for successful communication in English.
As mentioned in the main text, low-context and high-context cultures have significant differences in communication styles.
Understanding this difference is crucial for enjoying English conversation.
Let’s summarize the key points one last time:
- High-context cultures understand information and meaning from elements beyond words and context.
- Low-context cultures primarily understand information and meaning from words.
- Japan is a high-context culture, where expressions, tone of voice, and context within conversations are important.
- English is a low-context culture, where direct expression, logical thinking, explicit context, asserting one’s own opinions, and respecting the other person are important.
I hope this content will be helpful in your English studies.
