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1.Questions and communication
Do you often meet people from abroad? Do you ask them questions? You probably do. All of us ask other people questions when we meet them. We want to know where people are from, what they do, and how they live. We ask questions. Still, if you ask people too many questions, they will begin to feel as
if they are being interviewed. They begin to feel tired and unhappy. What was a pleasant conversation may stop being pleasant and become a bore.
How can you get information from people without asking questions? One way is to volunteer information about yourself. Try saying something like, “Nice to meet you. My name is Aaron, and I’m from San Francisco.” Often the other person will respond, saying, “Nice to meet you too. My name is
Hannah, and I am from Atlanta.” This is called reciprocal communication. Reciprocity is a sophisticated word for matching. I give you some information, and you give me some information. I ask a question, and you ask a question. I buy lunch, and you buy dinner.
Communication where one person asks questions and another person answers is not always successful communication. If you remember the rule of reciprocity, give and take, your communication with others will probably be both more interesting and more successful. If you volunteer information and ask
questions, your will be a better communicator.
2.False modesty
False modesty means to be overly modest. One example would be Ichiro saying, “I can’t play baseball very well.” False modesty may be appropriate in Japanese, but it translates poorly into English. Our writers at Aaron have seen a number of letters accompanying resumes that use false modesty.
Such letters say that the writer is looking for a job, is lazy, and can’t do any good work but will try their best. False modesty looks terrible in English, and such a resume will normally be thrown in the trash. False modesty, which is a part of Japanese culture, is not a part of American or
Western culture in the same way. While Westerners are at times modest, the modesty is a different kind.
It is good to be careful when you translate Japanese culture about modesty into English!
3.Euphemisms
Euphemisms rename ideas and situations that we want to avoid naming and discussing. Euphemisms are words that we can use to discuss unpleasant things. Somehow unpleasantness is reduced through the use of euphemisms. Euphemisms may also help avoid conversational awkwardnesses. Below is a list of
words and their euphemisms:
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Topic |
Euphemism | |
Beggar |
Homeless person | |
Crippled |
Physically challenged | |
Death insurance |
Life insurance | |
Died |
Passed away | |
False teeth |
Dentures | |
Mentally retarded |
Special child | |
Toilet |
Bathroom, ladies room, gents room | |
Unemployed |
Between jobs |
In writing, we often use euphemisms both to avoid some words and be more sensitive. Here are some examples:
1. My grandmother passed away eight years ago.
2. My son is a special child.
3. Market Street is full of homeless people.
4. Excuse me, but where do I find the ladies’ room?
5. Life insurance quarterly payment: $327.92.
Using euphemisms is necessary and appropriate. At the same time, however, knowing the true meaning of euphemisms is important.
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