NUFS TEACHER DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGSThe Connection between Language and Culture: How Japanese Culture
Affects Learning English
LIDIJA ELLIOTT
Nagoya University of Foreign Studies
Abstract
This paper focuses on the connection between culture and language learning in an EFL context inJapan. Many researchers and teachers have been acknowledging the importance of integrating
cultural knowledge into foreign and second language teaching in the classrooms because there isa strong link between the way the language is used and the cultural values which dictate this use.
This study focuses on how cultural values and beliefs can sometimes be an obstacle for learning
English or any other foreign language and how these affect students' use of this language. This canbe often seen in university classrooms when students appear reluctant to speak or are silent. The
paper will present the challenges the author encountered in teaching English regarding cultural
misunderstanding and how author attempted to deal with them. The author will talk about possible
strategies in order to help teachers and their students to overcome cultural barriers and to reducecross-cultural misunderstandings in language learning.
Key words: culture, language, language education, communication
Introduction
When teaching or learning another language, it is very important to understand that you willencounter individuals from different cultural backgrounds. Because of these cultural differences,
there is a possibility that people may not understand exactly what others are trying to say. Or, inthe same vein, there is also a chance that people may not understand certain habits, body language
cues, behaviors, or reactions that people from different cultures may have that are different fromtheir own culture.
An understanding of the relationship between language and culture is important for language
learners, users, and for all those involved in language education. In the interest of not hitting any
cultural roadblocks and enabling the most efficient learning environment, it is important that bothteachers and students understand each other’s cultures and become aware of their own uniquesocio-cultural behaviors. This mutual understanding of each other’s cultural backgrounds andcultural nuances ensures that neither the student nor teacher gets offended over something that was
not meant to be offensive. This also makes sure that both parties can best understand what exactly
the other is trying to convey, as understanding cultural nuances and minor cues are crucial inunderstanding the full meaning of what others are saying.
What Is Culture?
Assigning one single definition to culture is extremely difficult, especially in an increasinglyinternational world. While on the surface, culture might seem easy to explain or understand, thedefinition goes much deeper than what the average person may think. Without understanding
culture, it becomes difficult to understand the perspectives of others. As Geertz (2000a) notes, byClyde Kluckhohn’s account of culture (Johnson, 2013, p.99) as (1) “the total way of life of a

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people”; (2) “the social legacy the individual acquires from his group”; (3) “a way of thinking,feeling, and believing”; and (4) “an abstraction from behaviour…” (pp.4-5).
Culture shapes and it is shaped by almost every aspect of an individual’s life, going as deep astheir personal beliefs, their world view, the assumptions that they make, and even their thought
patterns. According to Condon (1973, as cited in Kuo & Lai, 2006), “culture can be defined as away of life. No matter where people live, their behaviors and thoughts follow and are generally
based on their own cultures” (p. 2). Therefore, by understanding the culture of students, teachers
are able to better understand their interests, their concerns, and what motivates them in theclassroom, which is necessary for being a good teacher.
Culture is also a core part of human nature; it is a part of all of us. Humans, whether people realize
it or not, use culture to develop and adapt societies, to understand new and different forms ofknowledge, and to form relationships with other people. These are all activities governed by the
influence of culture. This makes culture a very powerful tool, for all kinds of day-to-day life
activities, but also for teaching and learning language.
What Is Language and How Does Culture Relate to Language?
The relationship between a language and the culture of the speakers of a language is very closelyintertwined. It can be said that language acts as a representative of a culture in a way, as themembers of a culture communicate through their common language, thus imparting a piece of theirculture into it. Gleason indicates that “language is not only the product of culture, but also is the
symbol of culture” (Gleason, 1961, as cited in McIver & Young, 2020).
This is especially true for a nation like Japan. With thousands of years of history, the Japanese
language and culture have become so intertwined and have reached a symbiosis very unique among
other world languages and cultures. So, in the same way that a language can represent a culture, aculture can shape and change a language. The members of a culture think and speak in theirlanguage, so it follows naturally that as they grow and change, their thoughts and words willchange with them. For example, teachers can see instances of different cultures having words forconcepts or ideas that do not exist in other languages. In Japanese, there is a saying, “shouganai”,
without a direct translation to English, the saying means something like, “It cannot be helped”.
This saying is a good example that illustrates a socio-cultural difference between Japanese andEnglish-Speaking cultures. “Shouganai” is in a sense indicative of an understanding that there aremany things that exist outside of the individual that are not within our control and cannot be helped.
Contrast this to many English-Speaking cultures which are strongly individualistic and do not
immediately acknowledge the society around them, but themselves first. To what a Japaneseperson may say “shouganai”, a Westerner may say “Why must this happen to me?”. Expandingon this, it can be said that culture and language are in a way inseparable. Because of thisrelationship between language and culture, it is important to understand both and their relationshipin order to best teach and learn a new language, especially in a culture where the two are sointertwined like Japan.

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Japanese Socio-Cultural Differences and How to Address them
In order to form a positive teacher-student relationship and ensure that Japanese students stay
motivated to learn, an English teacher must understand how to empathize with Japanese students
and accommodate for cultural nuances. This understanding includes being aware of the manysocio-cultural differences and uniquely Japanese patterns of communication present among
Japanese Students. In addition to this, an effective English teacher should also know what thesesocio-cultural differences mean and be able to appropriately react to them.
Being able to understand situations in which these differences are negative or positive will
determine how a teacher should move forward in the classroom. There are many social and cultural
discrepancies in culture and language between the East and West, stemming from everything fromlanguage to personal values. Understanding the many socio-cultural differences present in Japanthat have a bearing on learning and communicating in English allows teachers to connect tostudents struggling to learn behind a socio-cultural barrier. To start, here are a couple of common
instances of socio-cultural differences.
Silence
According to King & Harumi (2020) “Silence is an issue that touches all who teach” (p. 3). English
teachers regularly encounter long silences in the classroom. There are two different reasons why aclassroom may fall silent, one being negative, and another mostly positive. It is important tounderstand both reasons to effectively connect with your students.
Positive silence occurs when students are thinking and/or processing information from theirteacher. This can be seen after a teacher asks a question or assigns group work. Students need sometime to think and prepare to answer questions or participate in group work, especially considering
these activities are not being done in their native language. This silence is necessary and positiveand should not be cause for any concern. Tannen (1985) confirms that “Silence is seen as positive
when it is taken as evidence of the existence of something positive underlying - for example, proper
respect; the silence of the telephone when it represents solitude for creative work; the silence of`sweet silent thought’... ”(p. 94).
On the other hand, negative silence makes people uncomfortable "hinges on whether or notparticipants feel something should be said, in which case silence is perceived as an omission"(Tannen, 1985, p. 96). Negative silences occur when students are disinterested in a topic, are notpaying attention, or do not wish to participate. This variant of silence is unwelcoming in theclassroom as it is not conducive to learning.
To get a better understanding of the nature of these silences and how to identify them, teachers
need to understand the foundation upon which this socio-cultural habit is built. In this case, silence
most likely stems from the Japanese cultural value of actions over words. This appreciation forsilence and actions over words has its roots in Buddhism, particularly the Zen aspects of Buddhist
teaching, which state that speaking in itself is superficial and that enlightenment can be reachedonly through silence. Because of this, it really should not come as a surprise that most Japanesepeople will value silence over unnecessary speaking, and actions over words.

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Moving on from the cultural foundations and on to the social foundations for this behavior. Japanis a small, ancient island nation/society. The aim is almost always intergroup harmony therefore
Japan has developed into what is referred to as a “high-context culture”. “High-context cultures
rely on context (social or physical) to convey a large part of the message’s meaning. Messages are
more elliptical and indirect; don’t trust words alone” (Nam, 2007, p.107). So, people became veryskilled at understanding each other`s message or “reading the air” (“kuuki yomenai”).
What defines a high-context culture is that its members operate with the understanding that thepeople in their country share the same cultural background and understanding as them, so a lot ofcommunication and details are implied during conversation. This contrasts rather starkly toWestern “low-context” cultures, where a shared understanding and cultural background cannot beassumed. “Low-context cultures context is not assumed; messages are more direct and completely
encoded in words; put thoughts into words and let them carry the meaning” (Nam, 2007, p.107).
Effective communication is simple and clear. Meyer states (2015) that “The United States is thelowest context culture in the world, followed by Canada and Australia, the Netherlands andGermany, and the United Kingdom” (p. 34). Due to the very diverse lingual, ethnic, and value
systems that tend to be present in western countries, when speaking, individuals find themselves
having to explain many things in great detail, where the Japanese do not.
Another reason for this communication style is the difference between collectivist and individualist
cultures. Chiu, Kim & Wan (2008, as cited in Carducci, 2012) stated that “Individualistic cultures,such as North American and Western European countries, are characterized by a cultural
perspective that emphasizes the uniqueness of the individual’s personal characteristics, needs, andmotives as the focal point of predicting and understanding the individual’s actions” (p. 414). Japanand east-Asian nations tend to be more collectivist than in western countries. In Japan, thiscollectivism means that the Japanese people value face-saving, fulfilling the needs of others, andgroup orientation over themselves, contrasting more individualistic western societies.
“Collectivistic cultures such as Japan, India, and China tend to be characterized by a cultural
perspective that places less emphasis on the uniqueness of the individual’s personal characteristics
as the focal point of predicting and understanding the individual’s actions” (Carducci, 2012,
p.414).
How Japanese collectivism manifests in the classroom will usually display the use of silence,
where students may remain silent in order to save face by either not standing out in front of theirpeers or avoiding being embarrassed. This silence can also be a tool to maintain group order, assome Japanese students may think that by remaining silent, unnecessary conflict or disorder isavoided. According to Harumi (2001) students,
Tend to be silent when they are not sure whether their answers are right or if theirideas differ from those of others. It might sound strange that Japanese students are
too awkward to state their opinions freely. However, this derives from the Japanesecultural norm of wa—meaning harmony—and the importance of consensus-decision
making. In order to keep harmony, there are students who think that they should
provide answers which match others’ ideas (p. 32).

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On top of this, silence can also mean that a student is formulating an opinion, gathering the courage
to speak in English, is leaving space for a senior to speak, or is attempting to disagree in a lessconfrontational manner. Regardless of the exact reason, it is important to be able to identify andunderstand the cultural reasons for this silence, know whether it is positive or negative, and be able
to accommodate for and, if needs be, address it.
Ambiguity
Japanese statements are often said to be ambiguous or indirect, especially by Westerners.
“Japanese is ambiguous” (‘aimai’) or that Japanese “don’t say things clearly” (‘hakkiri iwanai’)”(Pizziconi, 2009, p.221). This ambiguity is fostered by the nature of the Japanese language itself
and supplemented by Japanese socio-cultural values. This is derived from the Japanese tendency
towards collectivism and their valuing of empathy and politeness towards others. According toMatsumoto, Kudoh & Takeuchi (1996) “Japanese people took advantage of the power ofcollectivism and channeled their energies into selfless work for the common good” (p. 83). In orderto refrain from conflict or to avoid offending others, it is very common that Japanese people will
repress their own ego and not become too partial to one side, so as to avoid isolating themselves
as well. A good example of this indirectness and impartiality can be observed in the Japanese useof the word “no” (“iie”). Out of a reluctance to offend someone by disagreeing with an opinion or
refusing a request, Japanese people will often try their best to avoid saying “no” directly. This canbe done through apology or doubt, and most popularly as we have discussed, ambiguity andsilence.
In addition to this, there is the politeness phenomenon, to which the previously discussed Japanesesocio-cultural tendencies of silence and ambiguity are closely related. The Japanese language has
many different words for addressing different types of people politely. Because of this, it can bevery difficult for a Japanese person to find the right way to express politeness in English, which
may result in silence or an ambiguous statement.
There are of course many other complex Japanese language-based behaviors that contrast to thoseof English. After understanding some of the major socio-cultural differences between Japaneseand English-speaking peoples, an English teacher can form a more complete understanding of their
Japanese students.
Suggestions and Tips
The English classroom will always be a place that at least two different cultures exist. To
supplement the growth of this understanding and to support an efficient and effective classroom
learning dynamic, here are some tips and suggestions on how to best accommodate for and workwith Japanese socio-cultural differences.
The teacher’s questions should not be too easy or too difficult, if they are too easy, students may
see them as meaningless, resulting in a negative silence. If the questions are too difficult, students
may become frustrated and unwilling to participate. Because of this, it is best if the teacher asks
questions of moderate difficulty, appropriate for students` level and awards positive feedback forparticipation, which will encourage students to participate in classroom interactions more.

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Provide students with opportunities to use and experience different types of communication by
assigning pair work, group work activities, and having discussions. Pair work can serve as acomfortable way for students to work, and group work is a great way to take advantage of thegroup-minded nature of Japanese culture. A great way to supplement group work is by giving eachmember of each group their own responsibilities and making sure each student has a chance at
performing each role. According to Bouchard and Nicolai (2014) “The importance of pair/group
work in Communication Language Teaching has been identified by many researchers on language
learning and teaching, notably by Nihalani et al. (2010),who argue that L2 interaction in thelanguage classroom can potentially be achieved through collaborative/cooperative learning inwhich students work together to achieve a common goal” (p. 96).
Self-esteem and confidence are key to learning a language. Environments that induce anxiety are
not conducive to learning and should be avoided. The teacher should foster an environment inwhich students are comfortable and are not anxious to speak. This can be done by ensuring thatboth parties understand each other’s cultures. The teacher should also make sure the student
understands that through hard work, they can learn English.
The classroom needs to be made a pleasant environment where students know that it is okay tomake errors and are comfortable with doing so. This is necessary for classroom participation andensuring effective teaching.
Conclusion
This paper aimed to explore the connection between culture and language learning in an EFL
context in Japan. The author showed how cultural values and beliefs can sometimes be an obstacle
for learning English or any other foreign language and how these affect students' use of thislanguage. This can be often seen in classrooms when students appear ambiguous, reluctant to speak
or are silent.
It is important for a teacher to find ways to encourage communication in EFL classes whileaccommodating Japanese culture and styles. An understanding of students’ culture can help tonarrow the cultural gap that sometimes creates confusion and frustration in English communication
classes.

BIO DATA
Lidija Elliott teaches English at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies. She has an M.A. from
Leeds University, U.K. She is also TESOL Certified. She has been an English language teacher inAfrica and Japan for more than ten years. Her research interests include teacher development,
motivation and culture in language learning and teaching.

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