Language Learner Characteristics

Most cross-cultural workers feel that once they master a language, they can be effective as missionaries. But for those of us working in Japan, understanding the culture can be just as important as fluency. We need to become “culturally fluent”. Here is a summary of five ways to achieve effective communication from an article titled, “Cultural Fluency as a Guide to Effective Intercultural Communication: the Case of Japan and the U.S.” by Yukiko Inoue.¹

Tolerance of Ambiguity

For the last two years Scott had met weekly with Mr. Sato for Bible study. Though Mr. Sato claimed to believe the gospel, he just wouldn’t say whether he wanted to become a Christian. Learning to accept ambiguous conclusions is tough for Westerners, but accepting these situations “constructively” is an important part of cultural adaptation. In the case of Mr. Sato, his apparent uncertainty or “not yet” gives us a clue about what is going in his heart.

Behavior Flexibility

Todd had been an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) for two years. Though easy going, he feels frustrated when the school springs yet another last minute parent visitation to his class. In Japanese culture, adapting your behavior to situations with different requirements, speaks volumes to the Japanese, who value outward forms much more than their Western counterparts. Todd would have been surprised to hear how much the school administration appreciated his adaptability.

Non-verbal Communication

Sue was fairly competent in Japanese. She even passed level one of the Japanese proficiency test. But she struggled with the simplest translating, often misunderstanding non-verbal cues and Japanese facial expressions. Meaningful translation involves, not just understanding words, but processing the non-verbal information as well as contextualizing what’s spoken. Being able to adapt as we communicate is essential to making our communication clear and fluid.

Adapting our Style

It was maddening that each of their Sunday school meetings stretched to two hours when there was so little on the agenda and they included long periods of silence, but Mike knew he’d never get a consensus if he tried to rush things. To communicate well and build cross-cultural bridges, it is crucial to adapt our manner of communication to the style of the culture in which we are ministering. Silences are important for Japanese who need time to process and read the “vibe” of others in the group.

Empathy

Learning to develop our intuitive skills, and be observers of how other cultures act and feel in different situations, is an important skill, especially for Christian cross-cultural workers. Donna, who spoke little Japanese, showed concern for a lady at her local gym who seemed to be in pain. Though Donna had few words, the Japanese lady was touched by this show of empathy and later sought a deeper relationship with Donna. Words alone aren’t enough to communicate. Intuitively understanding other’s thoughts and feelings is important too, as we seek to communicate Christ in Japan

In Conclusion

It’s important to remember that good communication requires good interpersonal skills as well as fluency. Inoue writes that “intercultural competence” is just as important as language fluency for effective cross-cultural ministry. 

1. Yukiko Inoue, “Cultural Fluency as a Guide to Effective Intercultural Communication: The Case of Japan and the U.S.,” Journal of Intercultural Communication, Issue 15, November 2007, http://immi.se/intercultural/nr15/inoue.htm