Re: Re[2]: Examination for Japanese tech communicators

[Nancy Paisner <nancy -at- HI -dot- COM>]

Vince,

It appears to me from your statements that you have never spent time
abroad. It's true that a lot more people use English for international
business than any other language. But that doesn't mean that Americans
are envied for not having to learn another language. Rather, most
bi-lingual or (if European) multi-lingual business people definitely
look down on Americans who can't speak any language but their own. And
they don't envy us for getting to use our own language.

You see, learning a language well enough to use it for business
purposes requires developing a sense of the thinking patterns that go
with the language, the psychology of the culture it comes from. So
foreign business people who speak English have a much better
understanding of their American partners than the Americans do of
them. As a result, they can often get the better of a business deal by
psyching out the American side.

When I lived in Japan, I worked as a technical editor for a boiler
company. After a while, I decided I wanted a raise. I went after
one unsuccessfully in the American fashion a couple of times (sit down
with your boss and tell him why you should have a raise) within the
course of a few months. By that time, my Japanese was getting better
(I had been in the country for over 2 years at that point) and I was
starting to understand the Japanese psyche better. So I decided to
take another tack. Every week, at the end of the week, I went up to my
boss and politely mentioned that I thought it was time for me to be
getting a raise. After 6 weeks, when he realized that I was simply
going to continue the tactic forever until I got what I wanted, I got
the raise. The Japanese place a very high value on non-aggressive
perseverance; once I understood them well enough, I could negotiate
with them on their terms and win. If I had never bothered to learn the
language, I would never have figured that out.

So, 'being understood everywhere business is conducted', while not
understanding your opposite number, is not necessarily the ideal state
you may think it is. And while it is true that many non-native
speakers of English would like to speak English as well as native
speakers (American, British, Australian, etc.), this doesn't translate
to admiration of mono-lingual speakers of that language.  From my
experience with Japanese, other Asians, and Europeans during my time
in Japan and visits to other countries, Nancy H. comes close to
hitting the nail on the head with her statement:

>"American's inability to read and speak many languages fluently is,
>      >however, THE laughingstock of the entire world."

The only way I would qualify it would be to preface it with

'The average  ...'

By the way, your statement:



>      BULL, what is the language of business all over the world?  In most fore
>ign
>      countries, including Japan, the people think it is an insult to their
>      country and personal values to use English -- until they need to conduct
>      business anywhere or deal in technical issues.

is simply inaccurate, at least at it applies to Japan.

When I was in Japan, everyone I met, including schoolchildren, wanted
to practice their English on me, even if they had no business with me
at all; they think English is neat, and being able to speak it well is
an accomplishment. It was very difficult to get people to speak to me
in Japanese so I could practice my Japanese, until my Japanese got to
the point where it was significantly better than most people's
English.

(Maybe you're thinking of the French, not the Japanese. French people
in France are more than willing to speak in English if they know any,
but only *after* you've made your best effort to speak to them in
French. In Europe, politeness dictates that one use the language of the
host country, if one possibly can. Otherwise, whatever language
is common to the group is fine.)

Nancy Paisner


>      Nancy Hoft <itech -at- MV -dot- MV -dot- COM> on 3/9/95 wrote:


>      <snip>
>      >"American's inability to read and speak many languages fluently is,
>      >however, THE laughingstock of the entire world."


>      BULL, what is the language of business all over the world?  In most fore
>ign
>      countries, including Japan, the people think it is an insult to their
>      country and personal values to use English -- until they need to conduct
>      business anywhere or deal in technical issues.  In this respect, we are
>the
>      envy of the world.

>      When we want to communicate in a foreign language, we must be very very
>      careful when we translate or we too will be the laughingstock of the ent
>ire
>      world, just like all of the Asian countries.  They want to sell their
>      products, but hate to pay for translation into English, specially to an
>      American.  We all know how self-serving they are -- they copy (steal)
>      instead of inventing.  Love your VCR instructions do you?

>      Nancy, practice what you preach, its you who was not careful about your
>      statements.  Most Americans do not need to speak other languages, we are
>      understood everywhere business is conducted.  No other language is
>      universally understood, right?


>         Vince Putman in Houston  | Most people think new ideas are just
>         putmv -at- mail -dot- syntron -dot- com   |   a criticism of the old ways!!
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