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Jul. 23, 2004 Why Don't Japanese Students Ask More Questions? Rebecca Cataldi, Assistant Language Teacher

I came to Japan last August as an American JET Programme participant to serve as an Assistant English Teacher in junior high and elementary schools in a small town in Saitama Prefecture. Since coming here I've learned at least as much as I've taught, and one of the things that's interested me the most is what I've learned through comparing and contrasting Japanese and American culture, especially through observations in the schools. One interesting difference seems to be in the attitude toward asking questions. I've noticed that Japanese students rarely seem to voluntarily ask questions in class, either when they don't understand something or when they are curious about something. Being educated in America, where students often ask such questions, I was surprised by this and curious to know why it seems to be different in Japan. I have two theories as to why the difference occurs. First, I think Japanese schools have traditionally emphasized a lecture-style format in the classroom, where teachers lecture and the students take notes, listening and receiving the information but not necessarily adding information of their own or asking many discussion questions, while American students are more often expected to contribute to class discussions and raise questions of interest or concern as part of learning. Second, it seems to be that there is some difference in the cultural attitudes toward asking questions in Japan and America, at least in certain situations. In Japan, it seems there is often the attitude that asking questions in a classroom or after someone gives a speech shows a lack of understanding or a lack of intelligence, and thus could be an embarrassment or a sign of weakness. In America, on the other hand, asking questions in such a setting shows interest in the speech or lecture, demonstrating that the listeners were able to understand the speech and were interested enough in the content to want to ask questions to learn more deeply about it or to clarify and better understand certain points. If no questions are asked after a speech or lecture, the speaker may feel that the audience is not interested in or didn't understand the speech, and thus may feel awkward and uncomfortable. In conversations too, particularly when the language spoken is not the native language of one of the participants, Americans seem to interrupt with questions to clarify things they don't understand more often than Japanese too. Perhaps Japanese feel it's rude to interrupt to ask such questions or that showing a lack of understanding is a sign of weakness. Americans, in contrast, assume that people will ask questions if they don't understand something; I think we see questions as a normal and necessary part of learning and understanding rather than a sign of weakness. (There is even an expression, "There are no stupid questions".) In Japan, it seems that it's more the speaker's job to make sure that the listener understands what he or she said, while in America it is more the listener's responsibility to clarify things he/she doesn't understand. These differences in the style of communication and the way in which one receives information could potentially lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding between Japanese and Americans (or any two people with different communication styles). For example, a Japanese may not interrupt to ask clarification questions even if he/she doesn't understand all of an American's English, in order not to appear rude. But since no questions were asked, the American will probably assume the Japanese understood him/her and may be surprised and disappointed to find, after he/she is finished talking, that the Japanese understood little of what he/she said, and wonder, "Why didn't you just say so?" If we can understand cultural differences and different communication styles, however, or at least recognize that they exist, we can be better prepared to adjust our own ways of communicating if necessary to facilitate communication with others who may have a different style from ours, and then such differences, rather than leading to misunderstanding or conflict, can be learning experiences. Let us hear your comment at Let's Talk!

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