{"id":71982,"date":"2025-03-27T01:04:01","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T16:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insc.tohoku.ac.jp\/english\/?page_id=71982"},"modified":"2025-03-27T13:46:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-27T04:46:25","slug":"concern","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.insc.tohoku.ac.jp\/english\/globalcampus\/icl\/concern\/","title":{"rendered":"Frequently Asked Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<div id=\"g-knavi\">\r\n  <section class=\"contents intro\">\r\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\r\n        <p class=\"introduction\">Whether you are a beginner or an advanced learner in ICL,<br>we guarantee that this page will be useful to you!\r\n        <\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/section>\r\n\r\n  <section class=\"contents\">\r\n      <div class=\"anchors bg-2\">\r\n        <div class=\"wrap\">\r\n          <nav class=\"items-text\">\r\n            <a href=\"#01\" class=\"item-text-title\">Language Barriers<\/a>\r\n            <a href=\"#02\" class=\"item-text\">I have decent grades on the listening exam, but when it comes to having conversations in class, I\u2019m lost!<\/a><br>\r\n            <a href=\"#03\" class=\"item-text\">I have so many ideas to share but I am not confident enough to talk about them!<\/a><br>\r\n            <a href=\"#04\" class=\"item-text\">People speak Japanese differently in discussions compared to the way I\u2019ve learnt it at school.<\/a>\r\n\r\n            <a href=\"#05\" class=\"item-text-title\">Barriers in Your Mind<\/a>\r\n            <a href=\"#06\" class=\"item-text\">How can I be more confident in my opinion?<\/a><br>\r\n            <a href=\"#07\" class=\"item-text\">We feel like we are isolated as a group, because we cannot see how the other groups are doing.<\/a><br>\r\n            <a href=\"#08\" class=\"item-text\">How can I tell them how I feel without offending them?<\/a>\r\n\r\n            <a href=\"#09\" class=\"item-text-title\">Barriers Between Students<\/a>\r\n            <a href=\"#10\" class=\"item-text\">One of the students does not want to contribute to our group work. I don\u2019 know how to deal with someone like this.<\/a><br>\r\n            <a href=\"#11\" class=\"item-text\">No one says anything in the group except for me! How can I encourage others to talk?<\/a><br>\r\n            <a href=\"#12\" class=\"item-text\">I am barely keeping up in Japanese discussions. What more can I do to take a step further and speak up or even facilitate a meeting?<\/a>\r\n          <\/nav>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n  <\/section>\r\n\r\n  <section class=\"contents\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"wrap\">\r\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"headline_huge\" id=\"01\">Language Barriers<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qagroup\"><!-- QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-q\"><span>Q<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-q\" id=\"02\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tI have decent grades on the listening exam,but when it comes to having conversations in class, I\u2019m lost!\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-a\"><span>A<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-a\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTry not to be intimidated by slang.\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"block\"><!-- \u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"description-full\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOftentimes learners have trouble catching up with day-to-day conversations or discussions in meetings even though they perform very well in exams. When you find yourself in this situation, the best thing you can do is not to panic. <span class=\"underline\">It may only mean that you are not used to casual expressions in the language<\/span>. Like any other language, Japanese is changing every day. Even if you are a native Japanese speaker, you might struggle with the way younger or older generations of people speak. Grammatically speaking, people always omit the subject in a sentence, or they avoid using respectful forms in a casual conversation. This may be the reason why you have difficulty comprehending what is being said. The best way to overcome this situation is to ask questions. Do not be afraid of stopping the flow of the conversation. Your Japanese friends will be more than happy to help you. We have made a list of Conversation Tips you can use to ask questions. Please check it out and try out new phrases as often as you can!\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/\u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"g-en block-onepoint\"><!-- \u30ef\u30f3\u30dd\u30a4\u30f3\u30c8\u30a2\u30c9\u30d0\u30a4\u30b9\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"headline_border\">Recommended Websites for Learning Japanese<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t<p>\r\n          If you wish to get accustomed to casual Japanese, we recommend that you use YouTube or other streaming services. There are lots of websites that provide you with English subtitles as well. You can basically kill two birds with one stone by watching something you enjoy and studying Japanese at the same time.\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"onep-box-white\"><!-- 1\u30ab\u30e9\u30e0\u30dc\u30c3\u30af\u30b9\u30002\u30ab\u30e9\u30e0 -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"list-onepoint\">\r\n            <li>YouTube<\/li>\r\n            <li>NETFLIX (If you do not know much about Japanese TV series or anime, ask your classmates for recommendations)<\/li>\r\n            <li>TED (Check out TED x Tohoku University!)<\/li>\r\n            <li>NHK daily (Podcasts)<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/1\u30ab\u30e9\u30e0\u30dc\u30c3\u30af\u30b9\u30002\u30ab\u30e9\u30e0 -->\r\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/\u30ef\u30f3\u30dd\u30a4\u30f3\u30c8\u30a2\u30c9\u30d0\u30a4\u30b9\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qagroup\"><!-- QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-q\"><span>Q<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-q\" id=\"03\">\r\n            I have so many ideas to share but I am not confident enough to talk about them!\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-a\"><span>A<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-a\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFeel the fear but do it anyway! Every learner feels that their Japanese is not good enough at first.\r\n        No one is perfect from the get-go. By having small, successful experiences, you will feel more confident in your ability.\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"headline_large\">You do not need to know exactly what you are about to say.<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"block\"><!-- \u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"description-full\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\r\n                We understand that you probably think that you need to know what you are going to say and how to say it before you open your mouth. We want to point out, though, that it takes time to structure a sentence in your head. Of course, it is a desirable technique in discussion to premeditate your ideas. If this means that you go totally silent for a while, however, you should probably change your strategy. In Intercultural Collaborative Learning, students from all walks of life gather, which means that they will struggle to understand who you are or how motivated you are if you are quiet. Your Japanese does not need to be 100% perfect. Even if you are only 60% sure, it is always worth saying it out loud.\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/\u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"headline_large\">Be Prepared to Do Better in the Next Class<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"block\"><!-- \u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"description-full\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\r\n                If you could not find an opportunity to speak up in class, know that it is not just you. When you are not happy with how you did in a class, it is always good to prepare for the next class straightaway. Make small plans such as to speak up at least once, respond to your classmates, ask a question, raise your hand at least once, facilitate a discussion etc., etc.\u2026. It is worth noting that you need to do this right after the class. Make it into your routine to plan while your memory is still clear and use it in the next class. If you are not sure how to plan, please do not hesitate to contact your supervisor (TAs or Supporters also, if you were assigned one).\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/\u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qagroup\"><!-- QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-q\"><span>Q<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-q\" id=\"04\">\r\n            People speak Japanese differently in discussions compared to the way I\u2019ve learnt it at school.\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-a\"><span>A<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-a\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBe aware of the difference between spoken and written Japanese, and practice using them!\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"block\"><!-- \u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"description-full\">\r\n            <p>\r\n              As you may know, there are formal and informal forms of Japanese, and they are very different. <span class=\"underline\">In casual conversations or discussions, people tend to use informal Japanese<\/span>. You might have seen Japanese students nod and say \u201cUn-un\u201d in conversations. There are some expressions that you do not learn at school such as this, which means that non-native Japanese speakers tend to get confused when they come to Japan. One solution to this problem is to <span class=\"underline\">watch Japanese films or videos so you can learn casual spoken Japanese and imitate this style of talking<\/span>. Observe the way the characters respond to each other and try to build up your vocabulary. If you are not sure about some words or expressions, ask your classmates to clarify them for you.<br><br>\r\n              Languages are constantly changing day by day, which means that there are countless ways to express one idea. Just because you have never learnt a particular collocation does not mean that the phrasing is incorrect. You could think about how it differs from the one you already know and why they are different. We appreciate that it is not easy to try new expressions in conversations. We hope, however, that you <span class=\"underline\">overcome this fear and try it anyway<\/span>. In Intercultural Collaborative Learning, we aim for learners to find diversity in themselves, accept it, and learn from it. Japanese as a language is merely a tool to achieve this bigger goal, and there is no need to judge whether you speak it fluently or not. If you get frustrated, consider it as a stepping-stone that takes you somewhere higher and makes you grow even more as a learner.\r\n              <\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/\u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n  <\/section>\r\n\r\n  <section class=\"contents\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"wrap\">\r\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"headline_huge\" id=\"05\">Barriers in Your Mind<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qagroup\"><!-- QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-q\"><span>Q<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-q\" id=\"06\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tI am confused by the way some of my classmates think.<br>\r\n        Sometimes I feel like I am in the wrong and I end up refraining from speaking up.<br>\r\n        How can I be more confident in my opinion?\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-a\"><span>A<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-a\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThat is exactly how you are supposed to feel!\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"block\"><!-- \u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"description-full\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHaving discussions with people from different backgrounds can sometimes make you feel like you are saying something wrong, or it could even make you feel anxious that you may get criticized for the way you think. We believe, however, that this tension can be the key which opens a new way of thinking and gives you a chance to observe yourself from an objective point of view. We would even venture to say that you are very lucky to have felt this way! We are certain that you are stimulating your classmates in a similar way without knowing it. There is no right or wrong way of thinking in our class. We hope that you do not hesitate to speak up next time!\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/\u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qagroup\"><!-- QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-q\"><span>Q<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-q\" id=\"07\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWe feel like we are isolated as a group, because we cannot see how the other groups are doing.\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-a\"><span>A<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-a\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIt is probably a good idea to keep in touch with other groups in your class.<br>\r\n        Why don\u2019t you try having online meetings with them?\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"block\"><!-- \u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"description-full\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEspecially because you are having classes online these days, you tend to focus only on your own group. This could make you feel as if your group is an isolated ship adrift in the ocean with nothing in sight. There is no fixed mark to measure yourselves by, and you may feel at a loss. If you ever feel this way, we strongly advise you to set up a virtual common room where you can exchange ideas with other groups in your class. There are apps such as LINE or Slack that could be useful for this. If there is no virtual common room that is already assigned to you, you can ask your supervisor (or TAs and Supporters) to set one up for you.\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/\u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qagroup\"><!-- QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-q\"><span>Q<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-q\" id=\"08\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tI got asked a question I did not wish to answer in a discussion.<br>\r\n        How can I tell them how I feel without offending them?\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-a\"><span>A<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-a\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tYou do not need to answer all the questions if you do not wish to.<br>\r\n        You could avoid giving them personal answers by providing them instead with generalized answers.\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"block\"><!-- \u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"description-full\">\r\n            <p>\r\n              Some of you may feel a little uncomfortable when someone asks you questions about your religion, sexuality, or ethnicity. You might wonder how to politely dismiss such questions without creating an awkward mood. First and foremost, you need to make it clear to them that you do not wish to answer their questions, and <span class=\"underline\">then gently move on to talk about something relevant to the question<\/span>. You could phrase it like this: \u201cI cannot tell you how it affects me personally, but people tend to talk about it in this way ~\u201d, \u201cGenerally speaking, this issue is regarded as ~\u201d, \u201cAccording to the newspaper I read the other day ~.\u201d <span class=\"underline\">By changing the phrasing slightly and digressing into discussing general topics, you could subtly avoid answering personal questions<\/span> without offending your friends. <br><br>\r\n              Alternately, you might put yourself in your friends\u2019 shoes and consider whether your questions might upset them. You could choose not to ask for fear of being disrespectful, but <span class=\"underline\">we advise you to pay attention to the way you phrase it and ask them anyway<\/span>. \u201cI am not sure if it is okay to ask you this, but\u2026\u201d and \u201cI want you to be honest with me if you do not wish to answer this, but\u2026\u201d are both good ways to <span class=\"underline\">phrase a question so that the person who answers it can choose to what extent they respond to it<\/span>. It is normal to think and feel in different ways. You just need to make sure that everyone feels comfortable with the way the question is asked.\r\n            <\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/\u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n  <\/section>\r\n\r\n  <section class=\"contents\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"wrap\">\r\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"headline_huge\" id=\"09\">Barriers Between Students<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qagroup\"><!-- QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-q\"><span>Q<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-q\" id=\"10\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tOne of the students does not want to contribute to our group work.<br>\r\n        I don' know how to deal with someone like this.\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-a\"><span>A<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-a\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tInstead of expecting your classmate to change, you could come up with things you can change to assist them.\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"block\"><!-- \u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"description-full\">\r\n            <p>\r\n              Many students have gone through similar issues regarding those who are reluctant to contribute to group activities. How can you make sure that everyone\u2019s workload is equal and fair? In Intercultural Collaborative Learning, there are a couple of possible reasons for low participation, such as differences in language ability and anxiety towards engaging in a multicultural environment. Why don\u2019t you ask the student what is stopping them from doing her\/his work? If the student is from abroad, and having difficulty communicating in Japanese, you could ask your supervisor if you could use English supplementally in discussions, make a record of the conversation in both languages, or step back and assess the level of Japanese used in the group. It is not inclusive or fair to ask the student to catch up with you without any changes on your end. You need to be aware that your classmates have different skills and Japanese proficiency. Some students might have never talked to any foreigners in their life, some might have studied abroad, and others might have grown up overseas. This means that some of you are ready for Intercultural Collaborative Learning, but there are those who are not. If you find someone in your class who has little experience in an intercultural environment and shies away from speaking up, you could help them by coming up with an easy question for them to answer, encourage them to speak, and listen to them carefully to show them that you are interested. Make them feel that their ideas are valued and welcomed in discussions, so they can feel more confident in their views. If the student is feeling lost because of a lack of experience in collaborative learning, you could divide the workload in your group and make their role in the team clear. This will give them a sense of responsibility, which helps with the collaboration. By giving them the satisfaction of contributing to the team by doing something that they are good at, they should be able to have more confidence in themselves.<br><br>\r\n              If you ever have any trouble with relationships among your classmates, you can always ask your supervisor for advice. It is admirable to try to find solutions on your own, but doing so might only bring more challenges into your group. It is important, therefore, that you do not hesitate to ask for help if necessary. Introducing another pair of eyes to the problem could bring in new ideas to your group and stimulate it in a positive way.\r\n            <\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/\u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\r\n      <!--\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"block-onepoint\">\r\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"headline_border\">\u6559\u54e1\uff08\u307e\u305f\u306fTA\u3001\u30b5\u30dd\u30fc\u30bf\u30fc\uff09\u306b\u3044\u3064\u3067\u3082\u3054\u76f8\u8ac7\u3092<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t<p>\r\n\t\t\t\u81ea\u5206\u305f\u3061\u3067\u8ab2\u984c\u3092\u9042\u884c\u3057\u3088\u3046\u3068\u52aa\u529b\u3059\u308b\u306e\u306f\u7d20\u6674\u3089\u3057\u3044\u59ff\u52e2\u3067\u3059\u3002\u3057\u304b\u3057\u306a\u304c\u3089\u3001<span class=\"underline\">\u5468\u56f2\u306e\u30ea\u30bd\u30fc\u30b9\u3084\u30b5\u30dd\u30fc\u30c8\u3092\u4e0a\u624b\u306b\u6d3b\u7528\u3059\u308b<\/span>\u3053\u3068\u3082\u307e\u305f\u5927\u5207\u306a\u80fd\u529b\u3067\u3059\u3002\u5ba2\u89b3\u7684\u306a\u7acb\u5834\u304b\u3089\u52a9\u8a00\u3092\u3082\u3089\u3046\u3053\u3068\u3067\u3001\u65b0\u305f\u306a\u6c17\u3065\u304d\u306b\u3064\u306a\u304c\u308b\u3053\u3068\u3082\u3042\u308a\u307e\u3059\u3002\u3088\u308a\u826f\u3044\u5b66\u3073\u306e\u305f\u3081\u3001\u6559\u54e1\uff08\u307e\u305f\u306fTA\u3084\u30b5\u30dd\u30fc\u30bf\u30fc\uff09\u3068\u7a4d\u6975\u7684\u306b\u95a2\u308f\u308a\u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046\u3002\r\n\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"headline_small\">\u6559\u54e1\u304b\u3089\u306e\u30e1\u30c3\u30bb\u30fc\u30b8<\/h4>\r\n\t\t\t<p>\r\n\t\t\t\u56fd\u969b\u5171\u4fee\u3092\u53d6\u308a\u5165\u308c\u305f\u6388\u696d\u3067\u306f\u3001\u8a00\u8a9e\u3084\u6587\u5316\u80cc\u666f\u306e\u7570\u306a\u308b\u5b66\u751f\u3055\u3093\u5168\u54e1\u304c\u3001\u5b66\u3073\u5408\u3044\u3001\u3068\u3082\u306b\u6210\u9577\u3059\u308b\u6a5f\u4f1a\u3065\u304f\u308a\u3092\u91cd\u8996\u3057\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002\u7686\u3055\u3093\u306e\u4ea4\u6d41\u30fb\u5354\u50cd\u304c\u3001\u76f8\u4e92\u7814\u945a\u306b\u3064\u306a\u304c\u308b\u3088\u3046\u6388\u696d\u3092\u8a2d\u8a08\u3057\u3001\u7686\u3055\u3093\u306e\u5b66\u3073\u3092\u30d5\u30a1\u30b7\u30ea\u30c6\u30fc\u30c8\u3059\u308b\u306e\u304c\u79c1\u305f\u3061\u306e\u5f79\u5272\u3067\u3059\u3002\u56f0\u3063\u305f\u3053\u3068\u3084\u4e0d\u5b89\u306a\u3053\u3068\u304c\u3042\u308c\u3070\u3001\u3044\u3064\u3067\u3082\u76f8\u8ac7\u3057\u3066\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044\u306d\u3002\r\n\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"headline_small\">\u56fd\u969b\u5171\u4fee\u30b5\u30dd\u30fc\u30bf\u30fc\u304b\u3089\u306e\u30e1\u30c3\u30bb\u30fc\u30b8<\/h4>\r\n\t\t\t<p>\r\n\t\t\t\u30b5\u30dd\u30fc\u30bf\u30fc\u306f\u5168\u54e1\u304c\u904e\u53bb\u306b\u56fd\u969b\u5171\u4fee\u3092\u5c65\u4fee\u3057\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002\u3082\u3061\u308d\u3093\u3001\u79c1\u305f\u3061\u306e\u7d4c\u9a13\u304c\u305d\u306e\u307e\u307e\u307f\u306a\u3055\u3093\u306b\u5f53\u3066\u306f\u307e\u308b\u8a33\u3067\u306f\u306a\u3044\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u307e\u305b\u3093\u304c\u3001\u4f55\u3089\u304b\u306e\u845b\u85e4\u3084\u5931\u6557\u3092\u4e57\u308a\u8d8a\u3048\u3001\u3053\u3046\u3057\u3066\u65b0\u305f\u306a\u7acb\u5834\u3067\u56fd\u969b\u5171\u4fee\u306b\u623b\u3063\u3066\u6765\u305f\u5b58\u5728\u3068\u3057\u3066\u3001\u5b66\u3073\u3092\u3064\u306a\u3052\u3066\u3044\u304d\u305f\u3044\u3068\u611f\u3058\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002\u4f55\u304b\u3092\u4e0e\u3048\u308b\u5b58\u5728\u3067\u306f\u306a\u304f\u3001\u4e00\u7dd2\u306b\u8d70\u3063\u3066\u3044\u304f\u5b58\u5728\u3068\u3057\u3066\u3001\u307f\u306a\u3055\u3093\u306e\u559c\u3073\u3084\u82e6\u3057\u307f\u306b\u5bc4\u308a\u6dfb\u3063\u3066\u3044\u304d\u307e\u3059\u3002\r\n\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div> -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qagroup\"><!-- QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-q\"><span>Q<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-q\" id=\"11\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNo one says anything in the group except for me! How can I encourage others to talk?\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-a\"><span>A<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-a\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tYou are doing great to be so independent!<br>\r\n        Now try something even more challenging (but fulfilling) and be the inspiration for your peers.\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"headline_large\">\u2460Assign Different Roles<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"block\"><!-- \u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"description-full\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\r\n              When you have a meeting or group discussion in a class, there are always various roles to play to conduct it successfully. For example, you will need a facilitator, someone who takes minutes, a timekeeper, someone to report back your achievements to the class, and someone who shares the slides on the screen. It might be fun to change your role for every meeting. Ask them which role they want to play each time. If no one volunteers, you could use an online roulette to assign their posts.\r\n            <\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/\u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"headline_large\">\u2461Ask Questions and Rephrase Statements<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"block\"><!-- \u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"description-full\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\r\n              It sometimes happens that only a couple of people in the group talk in a discussion, or even none at all. The best thing you can do to overcome this situation is to ask questions. \u201cDo you know what we are supposed to do right now?\u201d, \u201cWhat shall we do next?\u201d, \u201cWhat do you think, ~?\u201d These are all good questions to ask when silence dominates the floor. For more advanced learners, you could even summarise a statement by saying \u201cDo you mean to say ~ by that?\u201d. By rephrasing a statement in this way, you can ensure that the whole group agrees on what is being discussed as well as stimulate the flow of conversation.\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/\u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qagroup\"><!-- QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-q\"><span>Q<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-q\" id=\"12\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tI am barely keeping up in Japanese discussions.<br>\r\n        What more can I do to take a step further and speak up or even facilitate a meeting?\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/Q\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-flex\"><!-- A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-icon-a\"><span>A<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qa-text-a\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAsk a short, easy question!\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/A\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"block\"><!-- \u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"description-full\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\r\n                You might be able to contribute in a more meaningful way, by trying to sustain continuous dialogue. The easiest way to achieve this is to <span class=\"underline\">ask questions<\/span>. \u201cI would like to know more about it. Did you mean ~ by saying so?\u201d and \u201cWhat made you think that?\u201d are very easy ways to animate a conversation. Incidentally, when you agree or disagree with someone, in addition to stating your opinion on the matter, you could add the reason why you agree\/disagree, and even ask for a comment from the opposing party in this way: \u201cI agree\/ disagree with ~ because ~. Is there anyone who can add a different perspective?\u201d Ask questions as if you are playing catch or relaying a baton, which helps to maintain the flow of dialogues. Of course, this is not an easy task. You can start with one question first to build up your confidence.<br>\r\n                Most of the home students want to hear more about what the international students think. Even though many of our classes are conducted in Japanese, you can try to be the leader or facilitator in a discussion. Go for it! We\u2019ve got your back!\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/\u6a2a\u5e45\u30d5\u30eb\u30d6\u30ed\u30c3\u30af -->\r\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- \/QA\u306e\u307e\u3068\u307e\u308a -->\r\n      <p>Translation: Mio Kobayashi, Walt Wyman<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n  <\/section>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n  \r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Whether you are a beginner or an advanced learner in ICL,we guarantee that this page will be useful to you! 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