Re: [tlug] Free program translates Euro languages to/from English

[Shawn <shawn@example.com>]

> This is just uneducated speculation, but it has occurred to me that the
> difference between Japanese and English, at least, may be that with
> Japanese it's understood that the burden of understanding lies with the
> reader/listener, while with English that burden lies with the
> writer/speaker.

Yes I believe so.

>   If there's any truth to this, maybe it could be
> explained on a sociological level by the traditional emphasis on
> hierarchy in Japanese society.  The reader/listener accepts the role of
> student/underling, along with burden of understanding what is being
> communicated, while the speaker/writer plays the role of sensei/boss,
> who is free to be as clear or as ambiguous as they please.
> 
> As I said, just wild, uneducated speculation, but it would be
> interesting to hear what others think.

That may be true.  It goes beyond that though where Japanese people use
this ambiguity to create ties between the interlocutors (people
talking).  

You may have noticed much head nodding or short "listening" sounds or
rephrasing of what was just said done by the listener.  It builds
rapport between speakers when one shows they are following what the
other has to say.

We Americans usually build rapport by trying add to the topic under
discussion (and actually often changing the topic through questions).

Japanese people will allow more time between comments since they need
to: 
      * figure out what was said (fill in the pieces)
      * figure out what to say (which takes time given the complexities
        of Japanese politeness)
      * wait until the sentence is over until they start [in English
        actually it is much easier to predict when the sentence will end
        and thus jump in immediately.  Japanese grammar lets you go on
        and on so it's more difficult to plan your answer before it
        ends].

In intercultural communication then we have a mismatch where Japanese
people don't feel American are listening because Americans (well most
English speakers) don't use the same devices to show they are
listening.  

Americans feel Japanese people don't add to the discussion enough and
take too long so they try harder and say more...(and listen less).

The information I just gave was from a some dissertations I read and
also my own thesis work on a Master's level.

Of course, both American and Japanese people learn the game and
expectations and so of course any stereotypes should be avoided.  These
are tendencies that can be documented in recorded interactions though.

Shawn