【High School Year 1: Japanese Language (Kokugo)】 Speaking and Listening — Sharpening Your Power to Connect Through Words
Hello everyone! Your high school Japanese studies have officially begun. When you hear "Kokugo," many people likely think of Kanji, classical Japanese, or analyzing difficult texts. However, "Speaking and Listening" are actually incredibly important learning modules as well.
Once you enter society, the ability to communicate your thoughts accurately and correctly understand the intentions of others will often prove more important than your test scores. You might feel nervous about speaking in front of others at first, but don't worry. Once you learn the tricks of the trade, anyone can master "effective communication"!
1. How to Construct Your Talk (The Basics of Structure)
When sharing your opinion, if you speak in the order things come to mind, your audience will get confused. The key is to be conscious of your "structure."
● The Three-Part Structure: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion
This is the most common format for presentations and speeches.
- Introduction (Beginning): State the theme and let the audience know what you will be talking about to spark their interest.
- Body (Middle): Provide specific reasons and examples. Presenting "evidence" is the key to increasing your persuasiveness.
- Conclusion (End): Finally, repeat your main point one last time to wrap things up.
● The SDS Method (For when you want to be brief and clear)
This method follows the sequence of Summary → Details → Summary. It's very useful for daily reports!
【Point】
Simply being conscious of "stating the conclusion first" will significantly increase your listener's level of understanding. This is known as "Conclusion-First" communication.
★ Fun Fact:
There is a theory (Mehrabian's Rule) suggesting that the impact on your audience is influenced more by your tone of voice (38%) and your appearance (55%) than by the words themselves (7%). When you speak, bright facial expressions and a clear voice are also valuable "skills"!
2. Receiving Information Correctly (The Art of Listening)
"Listening" isn't just about letting sound enter your ears. It requires an attitude of "active listening" (keicho) to grasp the core of what the other person is saying.
● Taking Notes While Listening
You don't need to write down everything. Try to narrow your focus to these three points:
- Keywords: Words that keep coming up.
- Conclusion: What the speaker is ultimately trying to say.
- Your Questions: Things you thought, "Huh?" about while listening.
● Distinguishing Fact from Opinion
This is actually the biggest trap of all!
・Fact: Objective data or something that remains the same no matter who observes it.
・Opinion: The speaker's thoughts, feelings, or guesses.
If you mix these up, you might end up believing incorrect information.
【Common Mistakes】
× Assuming: "That person is angry."
○ Separating them: "That person's voice is getting louder (Fact), so they might be angry (My guess/Opinion)."
★ Summary:
A good listener is someone who creates an atmosphere where it's easy for others to talk. Don't forget to provide appropriate "back-channeling" (aizuchi) and "nodding"!
3. Deepening Dialogue and Debate (Rules for Discussion)
In high school classes, you will have more group work and discussions. The goal isn't just to get your own opinion across.
● Instead of Criticism, Use "Counter-arguments" and "Proposals"
When you disagree with someone's opinion, don't just shut them down (criticism) by saying "That's wrong." Instead, provide a reason and propose an alternative path: "That approach seems like it might cause this problem, so I think this idea might be better."
● Raising a "Question"
When a discussion hits a dead end, throwing out a "question" like, "To begin with, what is the cause of this problem?" can help move the conversation in a new direction.
【Point: Magic words to make discussions smoother】
"That's an interesting opinion, [Name]. To add to that..."
"To summarize what you've said so far, does it mean that...?"
Using words that validate or summarize the other person will help soften the atmosphere.
4. Language Usage Based on TPO (Honorifics and Polite Language)
Choosing your language based on who you are talking to and where you are is also a vital speaking skill.
● Distinguishing Between Honorifics (Sonkeigo), Humble Language (Kenjougo), and Polite Language (Teineigo)
- Honorifics (Sonkeigo): Elevates the actions of others (teachers, superiors). (Ex: ossharu, irassharu)
- Humble Language (Kenjougo): Lowers your own actions. (Ex: moushiageru, ukagau)
- Polite Language (Teineigo): Expresses respect to the listener. (Ex: ~desu, ~masu)
★ Memory Tip:
Remember that "Humble language (Kenjougo) is about lowering (ken) yourself (like 'kenson' or modesty!)."
★ Use This Now! Self-Checklist for Speeches
When practicing your presentation, check the following items:
□ Am I saying "uh" or "um" too much? (Simply being conscious of this will make a dramatic difference!)
□ Am I clearly pronouncing the end of my sentences (sentence endings)? (e.g., ~to omoimasu, ~desu)
□ Am I using eye contact (looking at the audience)?
□ Is my speed appropriate? (You tend to talk faster when nervous, so be conscious of speaking slowly.)
Summary of This Lesson
・Speak with the "conclusion" first and provide evidence to increase persuasiveness!
・When listening, distinguish between "facts" and "opinions" when taking notes!
・Advance discussions through "proposals" and "summaries" instead of "negation"!
"Speaking and Listening" are lifelong skills. Why not start today during your break by "nodding" a little more deeply than usual when listening to your friends? I'm rooting for you!