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ibunka TB_U1

Teacher’s Manual: Unit-by-unit

Unit 1 - Introducing Yourself

Unit 1

INTRODUCTION TO TEACHERS This Yirst unit is about the different ways we present ourselves to others. The starting point for this topic is self- introductions, and what we choose to say about ourselves to people we don’t know. Of course, there are vast differences between individuals- some of us are shyer than others- but there are interesting tendencies which are rooted in our cultural upbringing. For example, some people like to introduce themselves with a lot of detail in order to come across as unique and therefore memorable. Others prefer to give quite standard, basic details so as to emphasize similarity with the listener. These tendencies are often marked across cultural lines. Before beginning, it might be good to stress to students that there are no “right” or “wrong” answers to these questions, and the goal of this unit (and all of the other units) is to look for some interesting similarities and differences between ourselves and our classmates, people in wider society, and Yinally people from other cultural backgrounds.

Part 1 ........................................................................................................25 Part 2 ........................................................................................................27 One Step Further .................................................................................31 Cultural Commentary ........................................................................35

UNIT 1 | INTRODUCTION

Part 1

1 - You and Your Culture

Online Form for WARM-UP SURVEY (textbook p.8)

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Online Form for INTERVIEW (textbook p.9)

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Example Sentences for INTERVIEW (textbook p.9) Q1: What kinds of things do you mention when introducing yourself to a group? • I usually say my name, hometown, age, and a general hobby or two. • I always keep it simple. My self-introduction consists of my name, hometown, my major and my favorite food. • I like to give my name (but also the name I like to be called), my hometown, my family and some interesting hobbies I have. Q2: How do you usually describe your abilities? • I generally talk very modestly about myself at Lirst. I don’t want to brag. • I usually describe my abilities honestly, because I want to talk about myself without pretense. Q3: Do you usually compliment others? • No, I usually avoid complimenting others. • Yes, I think it’s a good way to make a positive impression. • I usually compliment others only if I really feel that way, because I don't like Llattery. Q4: Do you think it’s normal to comment on someone’s appearance? • I think it’s very common to do this when someone looks good. • Yes, I do. I think it’s a good way to start a conversation with someone. • No, I never do. I think it’s a little rude. Q5: What things should you do in order to make a good Yirst impression? • I'm careful to be well dressed, make eye contact, and smile. • I laugh a lot and make eye contact frequently. If others do these things to me, I feel quite relaxed. • I think a smile is the most important thing to make a good impression, because people who smile are easy to talk to.

UNIT 1 | WARM-UP SURVEY & INTERVIEW

Script for Model INTERVIEW (textbook p.9)

→ Available as audio track “1-00-Interview1” for listening/note-taking practice.

Q1: What kinds of things would you mention when introducing yourself to a group? Yurika: I usually just say my name, my nickname, where I’m from, my age, and a general hobby, like listening to music. Q2: How do you usually describe your abilities?

Yurika: I’m pretty shy, so I always talk quite modestly. Q3: Really? But do you usually compliment people?

Yurika: I guess so. I always try to say positive things about other people. Q4: Do you think it’s normal to comment on someone’s appearance? Yurika: Yes, but only when it’s a positive thing, like good fashion sense. Q5: What things should you do in order to make a good Yirst impression? Yurika: I think it’s good to use honoriYics to show respect, and also to make as much eye contact as possible.

UNIT 1 | INTERVIEW

Online Form for EXPRESSION 1 & 2 (textbook p.10)

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Example Sentences for EXPRESSION 1 (textbook p.10) • I think that in Japan, when meeting someone for the Yirst time, people tend to give compliments. • I think that in Japan, when introducing themselves to a class, people tend to look for things in common with others. • In Japan, when speaking to someone you don’t know well, it's common to speak modestly and to use honoriYics. • In Japan, when speaking to someone you don't know well, it's common to use lots of aizuchi and give short responses. • I think that in Japan, when going on a Yirst date most people tend to speak modestly about themselves. Example Sentences for EXPRESSION 2 (textbook p.10) • The way I see it, most people in Japan use lots of aizuchi when taking a job interview, and I'm no different. • In my experience, many men in Japan show conYidence and use humor when going on a Yirst date but I usually don’t. • In my experience, many people in Japan use honoriYics when meeting someone for the Yirst time and I'm no different.

Part 2

t 2 - People in Other Cultures

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Answers to COMPREHENSION 1 (textbook p.11) Highlighted words are those from the VOCABULARY boxes.

UNIT 1 | EXPRESSION & COMPREHENSION

1 Nira , Costa Rican, teacher, lives in Japan In Japan, people seem to talk about their social situation (their employer or family) rather than about their private lives. I work for an English conversation school, so every month I have at least twenty "first-meeting" interactions with students. Very often after meeting someone for the first time, I feel that I know their marital and employment status but I don’t know anything about them as individuals.

TRUE FALSE

→ Nira feels that she doesn’t really know her clients personally after meeting them once.

☑

□

2 Ryōji , Japanese, software engineer, has lived in the US When introducing myself in Japan, for example to other club members, I usually talked about my hobbies in very general terms, like “I like music” or “I like shopping”. When I went to the US to study, I found myself saying much more detailed things, such as the genres of music I like. I got the feeling that most people wanted to be seen as unique. It was a bit stressful at first, but after some time I learned to talk about myself with confidence.

TRUE FALSE

→ In the US, Ryōji was upset that he could not Yind any music that he liked.

☑

□

3 Ryōji , Japanese, software engineer, has lived in the US I think that experience has influenced how I talk about myself even now, after returning to Japan. But of course here I always start by looking for common ground.

TRUE FALSE

→ Over time, Ryōji changed his style of self-introduction.

☑

□

4 Émilie , French, accountant, lives in Japan For me, It depends very much on my mood. When I'm in a good mood or a social mood, I try to draw attention to myself. I want to make an impression on the people I'm introducing myself to. But when I don’t feel like talking, I try to blend in. I say only very general things, so that I'm not asked any questions. In France, this strategy works pretty well.

TRUE FALSE

→ In France, when El milie doesn’t want to talk, she gives very basic information about herself.

☑

□

UNIT 1 | COMPREHENSION

5 Émilie , French, accountant, lives in Japan But in Japan, I have the impression that people are more interested in those who blend in. When I introduce myself by saying something very bland, they show their interest by asking questions. So I understand now that the strategies that helped me to “fade into the background” in France have the opposite effect here in Japan. And on the contrary, when I try to attract attention by emphasizing my uniqueness, I get very few questions in return. I never realized this difference before I took this survey!

TRUE FALSE

→ El milie discovered that Japanese and French cultures have very similar styles of self-introduction. □

☑

Answers to COMPREHENSION 2 (textbook p.12)

Example Sentences for DISCUSSION (textbook p.12) • I found El milie’s response to be the most surprising. In France she says very basic things so that people leave her alone, but in Japan this strategy makes people ask her more questions. This difference was very interesting to me. • I found Catriona’s response to be the most relatable. She said that she usually downplays her strengths, and, like many Japanese, I do that too. I was quite surprised that people in England and Japan are similar like this, because I always thought that westerners generally boast more than Japanese people do. 8 Jane , New Zealander, teacher, lives in Japan In my work as a teacher, I have noticed that some of my Japanese students tend to describe themselves as “incompetent” and to choose a level that is too low for their actual abilities. One of my students, who is very bright, sometimes makes mistakes on purpose so as not to stand out from the group. 6 Catriona, British, writer, lives in Japan Having been raised in England, I tend to downplay any strengths I might have. I think this is a cultural trait. In British culture, one cannot appear to boast . If I say I am not clever, or not good at something, then I can take it off the table as a topic and no one can criticize me or make fun of me. 7 Jane , New Zealander, teacher, lives in Japan I don't hesitate to talk about my abilities to a Westerner I have just met, but I avoid doing it when speaking with Japanese people. I guess that’s because it can be interpreted as arrogance, and harm both professional and friendly relationships.

UNIT 1 | COMPREHENSION & DISCUSSION

Answers to COMPREHENSION 3 (textbook p.13)

9 Marc, Belgian, businessman, lives in Japan I compliment people if I really mean it. In the same vein, I don't like to be complimented when I know it's not justified. I feel embarrassed. I've noticed that Japanese people compliment each other consistently. It seems to me that it's a social rule. It "puts oil on the wheels" and makes for harmonious relationships. But personally, I prefer more spontaneous, honest communication.

TRUE FALSE

→ Marc thinks that it is best to always compliment people in another culture, regardless of how you feel.

☑

□

10 Joe , American, university professor, lives in Japan, has lived in France I tend to give lots of compliments when I speak Japanese. In the US, I give some compliments. In France, very few - it seems less common.

TRUE FALSE

→ Joe is certainly more likely to compliment others in Japan than in his home culture.

☑

□

11 Masako , Japanese, salesperson, has lived in Canada What surprised me at first when I came into contact with people from Canada was that, unlike in Japan, they openly praise their own family and relatives and accept compliments. When I first started interacting with others, I felt it was tiresome because I couldn't take praise honestly, and had trouble reacting to it.

TRUE FALSE

→ In Canada, Masako found it difYicult to think of compliments for people she met.

☑

□

Extra Discussion Questions 1. Why do you think that some people try to use humor when meeting people for the Yirst time? Do you ever do that? 2. Have you ever had to give a self-introduction in English? Can you remember what kinds of things you mentioned about yourself? 3. Which do you personally think is more important, saying interesting things about yourself to make a striking impression on many people, or saying basics things so as to feel connected with many people? Why?

UNIT 1 | COMPREHENSION

One Step Further rther

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Suggested Answers for ONE STEP FURTHER Activities (Google Form)

p.74-p.75 | LOOKING FOR PATTERNS Here are some example answers for the Google form. 1 American / male / professor / lives in Japan Cultural Pattern A: how formal the greetings seem / honorific phrases 2 American / male / journalist / has lived in Japan Cultural Pattern A: more formal, or sometimes rigid, than in the US 3 Swiss / male / programmer / lives in Japan Cultural Pattern A: mention their age when introducing themselves / mention their blood type 4 Japanese / female / ofYice worker / has lived in the US Cultural Pattern A: I didn't know much about myself / not to tell people about ourselves in a good way, for fear of appearing boastful

Cultural Pattern B: I prefer a laid-back casual approach

Cultural Pattern B: none

Cultural Pattern B: explain more about myself / asserting individuality

5 French / male / teacher / lives in Japan Cultural Pattern A: my Japanese language ability has often been complimented / comments on appearance

Cultural Pattern B: outright impoliteness in France, especially coming from strangers. It makes one feel objectified and not respected

UNIT 1 | ONE STEP FURTHER

6 American / male / professor / lives in Japan Cultural Pattern A: focus on superficial matters, like appearance, unless I know the person well. I've noticed that people here in Japan have no problem with this 7 British / female / author / lives in Japan Cultural Pattern A: I receive compliments from Japanese people a lot / In Britain we are not good at accepting compliments. We always try to downplay them. 8 Canadian / female / homemaker / lives in Japan Cultural Pattern A: kept saying how pretty my daughter was / "Not like her, she looks like an old shoe." / the aversion to bragging goes to the other extreme 9 Hungarian / female / research student / lives in Japan Cultural Pattern A: they are too quick to compliment. It’s like if they aren’t really thinking about me, it’s just a social ritual.

Cultural Pattern B: saying things honestly when it's appropriate makes me feel good

Cultural Pattern B: I don't feel they are sincere

Cultural Pattern B: say that their child plays a sport well

Cultural Pattern B: none

10 Japanese / male / salesperson / has lived in Australia and the UAE Cultural Pattern A: When I am complimented, I try to be humble and turn it into a laugh by making a joke Cultural Pattern B:

In Australia and the U.S., I have the impression that many people say "thank you" when they receive a compliment

11 Japanese / female / career counselor / has lived in France and Morocco Cultural Pattern A:

Cultural Pattern B: talked about themselves and people associated with them

I myself felt more comfortable with Belgian colleagues who were more reserved in the way they spoke about themselves. 12 Japanese / male / student / has lived in the US Cultural Pattern A: I would say that I am rather modest when introducing myself.

Cultural Pattern B: In the US, I find some people quite extreme in how much they show of themselves / I find people who constantly brag about themselves quite annoying.

UNIT 1 | ONE STEP FURTHER

1 Introducing Yourself

One Step Further ACTIVITIES

Here are some more responses from the Ibunka Survey on the topic of self-introductions. Let’s examine them for underlying cultural trends. We can see that the language in many responses hints at two basic patterns.

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CULTURAL PATTERN A: Blend in In this cultural pattern, some people have a tendency to speak about things they have in common with others. Introductions are rather formal and standardized. When introducing themselves, people tend to downplay their strengths and qualities. It is common WR KHDS SUDLVH RQ RWKHUV DQG WR GHȵHFW RU HYHQ UHMHFW the praise directed at oneself or one’s family.

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Read through the Ibunka Survey responses below. Highlight in one color the words and phrases that hint at Cultural Pattern A: Blend in, and in another color the parts that suggest Cultural Pattern B: Emphasize uniqueness. You can work and discuss this in pairs or small groups.

Here in Japan, I've always found it remarkable how formal the greetings seem. Folks are bowing and using all these MTSTWNƳH UMWFXJX . It's kind of interesting. I prefer a QFNI GFHP casual approach. $PHULFDQ PDOH SURIHVVRU OLYHV LQ -DSDQ 1 In Japan I found introductions felt more formal, or sometimes rigid, than in the US, where it tends to be very casual almost from the beginning (depending on the situation and players involved). $PHULFDQ PDOH MRXUQDOLVW KDV OLYHG LQ -DSDQ 2 I noticed that Japanese people like to mention their age when introducing themselves. They also sometimes mention their blood type! 6ZLVV PDOH SURJUDPPHU OLYHV LQ -DSDQ 3 When I was living in the US, I used to explain more about myself from the beginning, to RFYHM YMJ FYRTXUMJWJ FWTZSI RJ (TRUFWJI YT /FUFSJXJ UJTUQJ . YMNSP &RJWNHFSX UQFHJ RTWJ importance on asserting individuality. Living in a foreign country, I found out that I didn't know much about myself. Since then, I have come to know myself better. Also, I think that in Japan, we tend not to tell people about ourselves in a good way, for fear of appearing boastful. -DSDQHVH IHPDOH RɝFH ZRUNHU KDV OLYHG LQ WKH 86 4 In Japan, my Japanese language ability has often been complimented, even if I only said "Hajimemashite" or "Watashi no namae wa ~ desu", and even when I was a total beginner. I found it a bit annoying at the beginning, but now that I am used to it, I just respond with a “Thank you!”. More tiresome are comments on appearance like 'You have a big nose' or 'You have such long legs'. These are comments that would be taken as outright impoliteness in France, especially coming from strangers. It makes one feel TGOJHYNƳJI and not respected. It is sort of like when people here in Japan see a cat and exclaim "kawaii!". I am not a cat. )UHQFK PDOH WHDFKHU OLYHV LQ -DSDQ 5

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I always look for opportunities to compliment others naturally. Going too far is not good, as it comes off as smarmy, but saying things honestly when it's appropriate makes me feel good. When giving compliments, I try not to KTHZX TS XZUJWƳHNFQ RFYYJWX QNPJ FUUJFWFSHJ unless I know the person well. I've noticed that people here in Japan have no problem with this, much to my consternation. For example, I've gotten comments like, "Oh, you have gained weight since we last met!" Or, "Oh, have you lost weight?" There seems to be no problem with saying this here in Japan, but it drives me crazy. I've had to adjust to it over the years. $PHULFDQ PDOH SURIHVVRU OLYHV LQ -DSDQ 6 I receive compliments from Japanese people a lot but for some reason I don't feel they are sincere. I don't know if that is because I don't agree with their assessment of my skills, actions or appearance, or if it is because I am personally unable to accept compliments. In Britain we are not good at accepting compliments. We always try to downplay them. %ULWLVK IHPDOH DXWKRU OLYHV LQ -DSDQ 7 My kids and I once went to the house of my daughter's school friend. While we were there, the girl's parents kept saying how pretty my daughter was, and then they said, about their own daughter, while she was present, "Not like her, she looks like an old shoe". And the daughter agreed with them! She said "I do, I look like an old shoe." And she didn't, of course, she was actually very pretty. It’s like the aversion to bragging goes to the other extreme. I never hear anyone say that their child plays a sport well, or the piano or anything like that. &DQDGLDQ IHPDOH KRPHPDNHU OLYHV LQ -DSDQ 8 I live in Japan, and sometimes I am not sure whether people really mean what they say when complimenting others. Also, I feel it’s common for Japanese people to compliment my Japanese language ability, even if I say nothing but "Hi." They don’t mean to be rude, but sometimes I feel they are too quick to compliment. It’s like if they aren’t really thinking about me, it’s just a social ritual. +XQJDULDQ IHPDOH UHVHDUFK VWXGHQW OLYHV LQ -DSDQ 9 When I am complimented, I try to be humble and turn it into a laugh by making a joke. In Australia and the U.S., I have the impression that many people say "thank you" when they receive a compliment. I don’t think that’s very common in Japan. -DSDQHVH PDOH VDOHVSHUVRQ KDV OLYHG LQ $XVWUDOLD DQG WKH 8$( 10 When I was working in Belgium, I got the impression that people who only talked about themselves and people associated with them were not \JQQ WJHJN[JI . I myself felt more comfortable with Belgian colleagues who were more reserved in the way they spoke about themselves. -DSDQHVH IHPDOH FDUHHU FRXQVHORU KDV OLYHG LQ )UDQFH DQG 0RURFFR 11 I would say that I am rather modest when introducing myself. .S YMJ :8 . ƳSI XTRJ UJTUQJ quite extreme in how much they show of themselves. To some extent, it is nice to know some things about others, but . ƳSI UJTUQJ \MT constantly brag about themselves quite annoying. -DSDQHVH PDOH VWXGHQW KDV OLYHG LQ WKH 86 12

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Write a paragraph on the topic of introducing yourself. Include your opinions and reactions to the cultural patterns you found in these survey responses.

EXPRESSION

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Cultural Commentary lt l Co entary

Personal stories and opinions As we begin our journey through many of the aspects of everyday life , the authors would like to remind you that the Ibunka Survey was conducted with the goal of gathering a range of personal stories and opinions. It was not designed to capture any deYinitive, wide-ranging “truths” about culture and cultural difference. The responses gathered in this textbook and the website were chosen to help illustrate some of the interesting differences and similarities that we think students and teachers would like to explore. Cultural analysis However, in these Cultural Commentary pages, we would like to share with you a number of general ideas that have found some traction in intercultural literature, as well as observations from our own Yindings and experience. They may be useful for teachers, to see where we are coming from, and to help guide students toward extensions and further studies. Please take them all with a grain of salt. We offer them to you, the teacher, in the spirit of cultural analysis , as introduced by Raymonde Carroll in her excellent book Cultural Misunderstandings : the French-American experience . She posits that fostering intercultural awareness means helping students to conceive of the existence of cultural systems different from one’s own. Behaviors that might seem illogical, dishonest or even crazy when seen from the prism of one’s own cultural logic can actually make sense once we understand that they are part of cultural systems that have their own logic. This is one of the goals of the Ibunka Survey and also of this textbook, a goal that we think is simultaneously modest and ambitious. Introducing oneself: blend in or stand out? The topic of Unit 1 is self-introduction, and by extension, the ways in which we present ourselves to others. From the responses to the Ibunka Survey, and personal experience, we can posit that when introducing oneself to a group, there are two distinct common patterns: - the person introducing themself focuses on what they have in common with others (this is largely the norm in Japan, for several reasons) - the person introducing themself focuses on what is unique about them, and tries to make themself “memorable” to others (this is the norm in many “Western” cultures) Both of these behaviors can be rather shocking to people from “the other side.” People from a culture in which uniqueness is valued, when hearing someone from a commonality-Yirst culture might wonder, “Why don’t they want to show themselves? Are they hiding something?” Conversely, people from the other point of view might think, “Why don’t they acknowledge the group, why are they so totally obsessed with themselves?” An example of this can be seen in One Step Further response number 12 (p.76), in which a Japanese respondent admits that self-introductions in the US sounded to him like people “constantly bragging.” “I like music” It has been noted that people from a Japanese cultural background tend to describe themselves in very general terms, using phrases that apply to almost everyone. “I like to sleep”, “I like shopping”, or “I like music” are common descriptions of one’s hobbies. Generally speaking, “Westerners” tend to use more speciYic descriptions. such as “I like jazz”, or “I’m really into science-Yiction movies.” This points to a cultural pattern, in which we can see a general emphasis on roles in Japanese culture, and an emphasis on identity in most Western cultures (Azra, 2011). One’s roles vary with the situation, and adapting to one’s role in a given situation is easier when commonality is sought. Conversely, one’s identity is supposed to be constant, and expressing it clearly without too much regard for the context can be seen as a sign of truthfulness/openness. Formal or less formal, self-assured or self-deprecating Another aspect of self-introductions is the level of formality. In one of the responses to the Ibunka Survey, an American respondent comments that, “Here in Japan, I’ve always found it remarkable how formal the greetings seem.”(One Step Further, response no.1) Of course, American culture is known to be quite casual as a whole in this regard. Europeans for example, while often not being as formal as Japanese people, usually believe that a certain decorum is appropriate and desirable in most social situations. In Japan, there is a “manual” to be adhered to; this is simultaneously reassuring (“do this and you have done what you are supposed to”) and constricting (“even if you want to say something else, it’s not on the menu.”)

UNIT 1 | CULTURAL COMMENTARY

As with several other topics in this textbook, there are considerable differences among Western countries, even if it is still possible to talk about them as a general cultural group without being far off the mark. And when describing cultural differences, it is not a question of black or white absolutes, but of degree. This is a key point that we want students to grasp, and be able to express, as they work their way through the book. For example, Geert Hofstede, the famous Ducth interculturalist, writes that Americans tend to present themselves in professional settings as very self-assured (“I am very conYident I can perform at a high level”) whereas Europeans are used to being more low-key. In the Ibunka Survey, British respondent Catriona describes herself as adhering to the British habit of self-deprecation (p.12). But again, the difference depends largely on the point of comparison. New Zealander Jane talks about her students’ tendency to describe themselves as incompetent, and sometimes even to make mistakes on purpose so as not to stand out. This is something that probably surprises all “Western” teachers in Japan. Compliments In this unit, Comprehension 3 is focused on a connected topic: compliments. Belgian respondent Marc notes that Japanese people tend to compliment others frequently, in order to “put oil on the wheels” of communication. (p.13) People from these cultures systematically look for something on which to compliment the other person on. This is sometimes a trivial thing, such as “Your Japanese is really good,” after a foreigner has just said “Hello” in Japanese, or “You use chopsticks so well.” These comments also commonly refer to physical attributes. It is surprising and even shocking to many Westerners when they are praised for physical attributes that are considered desirable in Japanese culture, such as having long legs, a small head or face, having lost weight or being handsome or pretty. The Ylipside of this propensity is that Japanese people do not speak highly of their own family members, even when there would be a reason to. The Canadian respondent in the One Step Further section (no.8, p.76) even says that she witnessed Japanese parents actively denigrating their daughter (“She looks like an old shoe”) despite the fact that their daughter “was actually very pretty.” For Westerners in general, it seems that gushing compliments are less frequent. They should ideally be “truthful”, i.e., they should reYlect what the person who utters them actually thinks, otherwise they might be perceived as Ylattery. High- and low- context cultures Finally, the topic of self-introductions can be connected with the framework of high and low context cultures. The renowned ethnologist Edward T. Hall characterizes American culture as a “low context culture”. This means that people rely comparatively less on the context to understand the meaning of situations and words. They prefer and need more explicitness. By contrast, Japanese culture is a comparatively high context culture: the social context provides many clues to communication, and less needs to be explicitly said. Many European cultures are said to fall somewhere between these two extremes. References and further reading • Carroll, R. (1988), Cultural Misunderstandings : the French-American experience , Chicago : University of Chicago Press • Azra, J.L. (2011), Les Japonais sont-ils différents ? : 62 clefs pour comprendre le Japon ordinaire . Paris: Connaissances et Savoirs (in French) • Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture's consequences: International differences in work-related values . Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. • Hall, E.T. (1076), Beyond Culture , Garden City, N.Y. : Anchor Press • Polite But Not Discreet: Why Is Japan So Open About Body-Talk? ( Savvy Tokyo article)

UNIT 1 | CULTURAL COMMENTARY

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