Japanese and English Speakers’ Codes for Remedying Problematic Situations

What is it about?

This study describes speech codes used by Japanese and English speakers in remedying problematic situations. By analyzing in-depth interviews, the study reveals the Japanese-speaking participants’ use of a code in which offering detailed explanations can be a way to deny having caused another person discomfort, thus being incompatible with their meaning of “apology.” The English-speaking participants used a code in which offering and listening to explanations is a way to show that they care about the relationship and to seek forgiveness.

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Why is it important?

The study shows how the subtly different codes used by Japanese and English speakers can be consequential in intercultural encounters with each other. The analysis also illustrates how the participants used these codes as a resource to draw a boundary between two speech communities.