Communication style Japanese

Verbal

 Indirect Communication: The Japanese communication pattern is very indirect and

far less verbose than what the English-speaking West is familiar with. They rely less
on words to convey context and are more attentive to the posture, expression and
tone of voice of the speaker to draw meaning from a conversation. In order to
maintain harmony throughout conversation and prevent a loss of {face} on either end,
they may use ambiguous speech and understatements to convey their message in a
more subtle way. The best way of navigating around this rhetoric to find the
underlying meaning is to check for clarification several times using open-ended
questions.
 Refusals: The cultural preoccupation with saving {face} and being polite means that
the Japanese may wish to avoid giving a flat “no” or negative response—even when
they don’t agree with you. Therefore, focus on hints of hesitation. Listen closely to
what they say, but also pay careful attention to what they don’t say and implicitly
mean. It’s a good idea to clarify and double check your understanding.
 Laughter: When communicating bad news, a Japanese person may smile and laugh
to diffuse the uncomfortable situation. People may also cover their mouth when they
giggle. It is rare to see big bursts of laughter with corresponding gestures.
 https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/japanese-culture/japanese-culture-communication


Non-Verbal

 Physical Contact: The appropriacy of physical contact varies depending on the

context in Japan. You can expect a Japanese person to immediately apologise if they
bump into or brush against you by accident. However, often the situation is
unavoidable (e.g. on crowded public transport). In these situations, people are
generally accustomed to a lack of personal space.
 Body Language: The Japanese do not gesture very much while speaking as their
body language is largely restrained. Instead, they often hold their hands together as
they speak which prevents them from gesturing throughout conversation.
 Eye Contact: The Japanese avoid eye contact with strangers as it is considered
rude to stare.
 Facial Expressions: It is common for Japanese people to maintain a placid
expression and smile during an interaction regardless of the topic. This evidently
differs between personalities, but a modest, reserved demeanour is polite.
Furthermore, consider that whilst smiling can indicate happiness, it is sometimes
used in an attempt to cover awkwardness or sadness.
 Nodding: Japanese people often nod to acknowledge what is said. However, this
does not always mean they agree or understand. It is primarily a gesture made out
of politeness.
 Feet: Displaying the soles of your feet is considered rude.
 Inhaling: When a Japanese person inhales air through their teeth, it usually implies
disagreement.
 Silence: Silence is an important and purposeful tool used in Asian communication.
Pausing before giving a response indicates that someone has applied appropriate
thought and consideration to the question. This reflects politeness and respect.
 Beckoning: It is impolite to beckon people who you are not close friends with.
Beckoning is done by facing the palm of the hand to the ground and waving one’s
fingers towards oneself. Individual fingers should not be used.
 Pointing: Pointing is done using the entire hand unless referring to oneself, in which
case they place their index finger on their nose.
 Waving: Shaking the hand with the palm facing forward from side to side means
“no”.
 Gestures: A Japanese person may clasp their hands together in front of their chest
when apologising or accepting something. This expresses gratitude and respect.
 Bowing: See ‘Greetings’ for guidelines on how to bow.

Communication style in India

Verbal

 Indirect Communication: The communication style of Indians tends to be polite and

indirect. They may try to speak appeasingly to those they are not close to in order to
avoid conflict or confrontation. People often exchange opinions or viewpoints through
negotiation rather than arguing that their perspective is definitively correct. This
communication style can come across as ambiguous. Direct communication is
reserved for relationships with a high level of trust or crucial situations.
 Refusals: Direct refusals, such as ‘no’, may be considered to be too harsh and open
disagreement is likely to be interpreted as hostile or aggressive. Therefore, Indians
tend to give evasive refusals and indirectly express disagreement. Indians may use
phrases such as ‘maybe’ or ‘I'll do my best’ as a way to express ‘no'. Moreover, ‘yes'
has various connotations that differ from the word's usage in English-speaking
Western cultures. For example, an Indian may say ‘yes’ to indicate that they are
listening to the speaker, whilst indicating disagreement or refusal through their body
language.
 Silence: Sometimes people will remain silent rather than provide a direct ‘no’. Thus,
it is advisable to pay attention to what is not said, as the absence of agreement may
be an expression of disagreement.
 Questioning: The cultural preoccupation with politeness and modesty can
sometimes mean that some Indians automatically answer ‘yes' to direct questions
that require a yes or no answer. For an Indian, a flat ‘no' may indicate that you wish
to end the relationship. One way of navigating around ambiguity is to check for
clarification several times using open-ended questions. For example, rather than
asking “Is the shop this way?”, it is better to ask “Which way is the shop?”.
 Hierarchy: The social hierarchy of Indian society often influences communication
patterns in many scenarios. Respect and deference to authority figures in and
outside the home are prevalent in various ways, such as being sensitive about how
one refuses requests and disagrees with a senior’s opinion.

Non-Verbal

 Physical Contact: Indians prefer not to touch people when it can be avoided, but
they may touch someone's arm or hand when speaking so long as they are the same
gender. Body contact between the genders is kept minimal throughout most of India.
For example, hugging, kissing and holding hands are not customary.
 Personal Space: Indians generally respect each other's personal space and an
arm's length of distance is common during interactions. This is usually similar
proximity to what Westerners are familiar with. They may stand further away from
those who are of the opposite gender.
 Eye Contact: In general, Indians prefer to keep eye contact minimal or avert their
eyes from the opposite gender rather than sustaining eye contact. Some women may
avoid eye contact altogether. Direct eye contact is generally appropriate so long as
you divert your gaze every so often.
 Whistling or Winking: Both these actions are considered sexually suggestive in
India.
 Head Tilt: People may tilt their head to the side or shake it to both sides to indicate
agreement and understanding. This head movement is similar to the Western
gesture indicating “I don’t know” with a shrug of the shoulders and tilting one’s head
to the side.
 Nodding: Indians will often nod to acknowledge what is said out of politeness.
However, this does not always mean they understand or agree.
 Pointing and Beckoning: Pointing the index finger towards someone is considered
to be accusatory. A more polite way to beckon or refer to someone is to use your
whole palm facing down.
 Body Language: Standing with your hands on your hips suggests that you are angry
or ready to argue.
 Ears: Holding or pulling on one's ears is a gesture that indicates sincerity or
repentance.
 Head: The head is considered to be the holiest part of one's body. Touching
someone on the top of the head is deemed to be insensitive and offensive.
 Feet: Feet are thought to be the dirtiest part of the body, and displaying the soles of
one’s feet or touching people with one’s feet is considered rude.

https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/indian-culture/indian-
culture-communication
Communication style in Canada
Verbal

 Communication Style: Canadians are relatively indirect communicators; they try to

avoid creating conflict by taking careful measures to remain polite throughout
discussion. This usually involves making hints that vaguely communicate their
message without ‘rocking the boat’. Nevertheless, communication is not so indirect
that one has to decipher it. Canadians tend to speak clearly enough that their
intention and meaning is often apparent through careful word choice. They tend to
disagree openly but respectfully.
 Linguistics: Canadians often punctuate sentences with the word ‘eh’ (pronounced
‘ay’).
 Interruptions: People generally consider interruptions to be rude and do not
appreciate them.

Non-Verbal

 Eye Contact: Eye contact should be maintained directly and broken intermittently.
People often make enough eye contact to show their sincerity, but do not hold it for
long durations to the point it seems scrutinising. Neglecting to make eye contact
during a conversation can signify boredom or disinterest.
 Physical Contact: Canadians tend not to touch each other much during casual
conversation. Good friends may hug, but people are generally not tactile with those
they are not close with. A man showing a great deal of physical contact to a woman
(particularly in the workplace) can be seen as sexual harassment.
 Personal Space: Canadians do not appreciate it when others invade their personal
space, and often keep about an arm’s length distance between themselves (as well
as in crowded situations, such as queues).
 Gestures: Canadians tend not to gesticulate very much during conversation.
However, most usually enjoy conversing with those who do as it gives the impression
that the person making them is very interested in the conservation.

https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/canadian-culture/canadian-culture-communication