Page 106 - Silence in Intercultural Communication

Chapter 4. Perceptions of silence 93

4.4.2 Norms of relevance

As discussed earlier, Japanese students seem to have stricter criteria than Austra-
lian students for the relevance of comments in discussions and the appropriacy of
questions for lecturers, and they consequently perceive a higher risk of face-loss
in volunteering participation than do their Australian counterparts. A comment
by a Japanese student below illustrates this point:

(45) M8: But when you cannot finish the reading assignment, you would rather
not ask questions, I think.
I: Right. I wouldn’t-
M8: If you ask about what is written there [as an answer], it is rude. Not even
embarrassing but rude, don’t you think? [13:56-58 M8]

This student (M8) also complained that in one class, a peer student asked why a
certain technical term was used, even though it was clearly defined in the reading
material. He was not happy about the fact that the lecturer took time and effort to
answer the question. He went on to say:

(46) Also, at times when you cannot understand something, well I think it’s rather
psychological, but when you cannot understand, how can I put it, well, it’s not
really anybody’s fault, but whether you think you are not good enough or
something else, you know, it’s definitely a difference, I think. If it’s me, if
I didn’t know something, even though I wouldn’t think it’s bad, but I would
think I should have covered that area myself. But other people probably tend
to .... ask the lecturer if they don’t understand. [13:62-66 M8]

These comments take us back to the socio-psychological aspect of participation
which holds Japanese students back from participation. If Japanese students have
stricter criteria for relevance, there is more chance of risking loss of face when
they participate.
Fear of producing irrelevant or inappropriate speech in class does not seem
to be the only relevance-related trigger for silence. Irrelevant speech by other
students also seems to affect Japanese student participation. There are instances
where Japanese students seem to ‘switch off’ and choose to stop engaging in dis-
cussions when irrelevance is perceived. The following exchange from a focus
group interview illustrates this:

(47) M2: I think it is possible that Asian students just give up if they find it
[discussion] pointless.
F8: Often it’s not because of lack of understanding but because of lack of
attention. [23:248-249 M2&F8]