ibunka-manuel-complet-01-09 (1)

People in Other Cultures Part 2

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SURVEY

Q1 When you introduce yourself, do you focus on your uniqueness, or on how much you have in common with others? Have you noticed anything remarkable about the way people introduce themselves in the foreign culture you have lived in?

1

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 RTSYM . MF[J FY QJFXY Y\JSY^ ƳWXY RJJYNSL NSYJWFHYNTSX \NYM XYZIJSYX ;JW^ TKYJS FKYJW RJJYNSL XTRJTSJ KTW YMJ ƳWXY YNRJ . KJJQ YMFY . PST\ YMJNW RFWNYFQ FSI JRUQT^RJSY status but I don’t know anything about them as individuals.

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1-02

2

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 XYWJXXKZQ FY ƳWXY GZY FKYJW XTRJ YNRJ . QJFWSJI YT YFQP FGTZY R^XJQK \NYM HTSƳIJSHJ .

1-03

3

Ryoji -DSDQHVH

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1-04

4

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. 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. And if my answers are banal, they will ask even more questions! So I understand now that the strategies that helped me “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! 5

Émilie )UHQFK

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1-05

1-06

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