Yoji Yamakuse interview on intercultural communications
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>>M. Novak : Some people
say that all you have
to do is speak the same language.
With everybody moving toward English,
what do you think is the value of
the intercultural skills as opposed
to just the language skills?
>>Y. Yamakuse : Okay, you
know, people may forget
that English is spoken
based on different context.
You know, that is really important,
or based on different expectations.
When I speaking to you I'm using
"American mode", like gesture,
or eye contact, or like way of
speaking - how to construct my theory.
But when I speak into Japanese people,
maybe I will use a different way.
Maybe I will start from
background, and I don't use
such kind of, I mean, gesture.
Just I will sit down like this.
But both side must have a
good will to communicate.
But if I start speaking like this,
[moving to Japanese style] it is really,
difficult for Americans
to understand - hum?
I am quite a progressive Japanese -
[switching back to American
style] right?
So, context and background is different.
Then they use English
- it is a trap, trap!
So to avoid this trap we
need to have a so called
"view" of intercultural analysis.
And that is my job to fix it.
And this is not easy.
Sometimes it's gonna be quite serious.
The reason is, you know, if like
intercultural communication,
misunderstanding accumulated, it's gonna
be a collapse of the business itself.
Sometimes, even, unfortunately
legal action can be happened.
People may consider other
"Oh, I am looked down",
based on the English
context is different.
That case, that person might sue other
people because of discrimination.
It may happens!
So, you know, intercultural
communication is a key issue to,
how can I say, fill that gap.
That is why, English is the same - of
course English is the same - but again,
if people depend on the English
itself, it is really dangerous.