The Smile in Japanese Culture. Interpretations with Regard to Japanese Language Education

Authors:

Pages: 75-84
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54664/FZCU6730

Abstract:

In the field of Japanese language education the so-called “Japanese smile” and its various interpretations are very often misunderstood by the learners. The “Japanese smile” is a phenomenon in Japanese culture related to the specifics of the non-verbal communication, psychology and the attachment of the Japanese to the society or the social group. It is a “product of a long-time cultivated etiquette”, “a sign of politeness and respect for the interlocutor”. In the process of globalization foreign language education lays emphasis on the unity of language and culture, which is also a basic component and a prerequisite for the development of intercultural competence. The present paper discusses a number of situations that evoke smiles in Japanese, but Bulgarians do not consider them funny. Our aim is to imbed such episodes in the structure of Japanese language classes and to think out tasks that encourage their interpretation and therefore the development of intercultural competence in students.

Keywords:

Japanese smile, Japanese culture, Japanese language, intercultural competence

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