About the course
Communicating Effectively Across Cultures
50 common examples of misunderstanding between Japanese and foreign colleagues—and how to reduce misunderstanding.
In this program, we will go through the examples and scenarios of business situations where Japanese business people misunderstand their foreign colleagues (and vice versa). These could be due to different cultural values, different behavioral expectations or even language mistakes. For each of the scenarios, we will identify the cause of the issue, think about possible solutions and use role-plays / dialogues / group conversations to practice solving the issue. In addition to class practice, there will be additional (optional) homework with more examples / ideas on how to improve communication. The instructor will provide individual feedback and improvement suggestions to each participant.
Language level: This program is for anyone with at least Intermediate level of English (or above).
Course taught in: 10 lessons
Price: 34,000 JPY
Days taught: Saturday, 13:00
Language: English
Class List
| Week 1 | Cross-cultural communication: How will improving cross-cultural communication skills benefit your career? Language practice: Common challenges with greetings / introductions / small talk and how to improve. |
|---|---|
| Week 2 | Cultural values: Differences in cultural values between Japanese and foreign business people - how do they affect communication? Language practice: Explaining and clarifying the details of working tasks, confirming your understanding. |
| Week 3 | Communication styles: How to reduce hesitation when speaking? Language practice: Asking for opinions / sharing your opinions without hesitation. |
| Week 4 | Discussion: How to participate actively in discussions? Language practice: Asking questions and giving suggestions. |
| Week 5 | Convincing: How to convince your colleagues? Language practice: Convincing foreign colleagues to support your ideas. |
| Week 6 | Communication context: How to communicate your messages more effectively? Language practice: Apologizing in the correct context. |
| Week 7 | Behavioral expectations: How do you understand your foreign partners better? Language practice: Agreeing / disagreeing politely and giving reasons. |
| Week 8 | Cultural Stereotypes: How do cultural stereotypes affect communication? Language practice: Asking questions / making comments about foreign cultures. |
| Week 9 | Differences in body language: How can you adjust your body language in cross-cultural scenarios? Language practice: Giving feedback or constructive criticism. |
| Week 10 | Review practice / individual feedback / role-plays |
Course Instructor
Mikhail Kotykhov
