The Invisible Common Ground Between Japanese and English
For Japanese speakers, the real barrier to English fluency isn’t grammar or vocabulary. It’s the lack of practice in stating opinions clearly and logically in front of others.
Japan is classified as a high-context culture, where people rely on deeply shared assumptions. Communication often works with just a few words—and saying too much can even backfire.
English is different. It’s spoken by people from highly diverse backgrounds, where shared assumptions are fewer. To build agreement, you need to state your position openly and logically.
So the essence isn’t “be quiet in Japanese, be direct in English.” It’s knowing how much common ground exists and adjusting accordingly. Even in Japanese, conversations across generations often require more explicit language.
If English had stayed confined to England, an island with one main ethnicity, it might have retained a style closer to Japanese. In fact, when I talk with white British people, I sometimes feel similarities to Japanese conversation. With Americans, the difference is clearer—their style is more open and explicitly logical.
