Polite Fictions in Collision: Is it Worthwhile?
Polite Fictions in Collision: Is it Worthwhile? On a personal note, my wife, who is an English professor at a Japanese university, passed this book to me and said it might be interesting (she taught it in previous years). As my Japanese skills are very weak, I’m always on the lookout for resources and guides to help me learn about Japanese culture, so I took it. Once I began reading this book, I couldn’t stop! After finishing it, I felt a deeper understanding and connection to the Japanese people, as if all the puzzle pieces had fallen into place. I then purchased my own copy to use for my own classes.
I have used Polite Fictions in Collision in many of my advanced English ESL classes with great success. Not only have my students enjoyed this book, but they learned a lot, too. I found this to be an invaluable asset. Would it be worthwhile for you to have?
What is Polite Fictions in Collision?
I think it best that you know my stance on making reviews upfront. I don’t like making them.
However, I think it’s important to mention a resource that I often use in my advanced English classes.
Polite Fictions is a university textbook that helps English teachers and Japanese ESL students understand many cross-cultural differences between Japan and America. These differences sometimes come into conflict, causing feelings of rudeness. It is written by a multicultural couple, Nancy and Shiyo Sakamoto. “All situations presented in the text come from the authors’ real-life experiences”. The book is written in English but has an introduction and notes section written in Japanese. It is clearly designed for both language learners and native English speakers.
Let’s take a closer look
3 minute review – flip-thru
The Design and Look
- The book is well-made, with durable pages and binding.
- When opened, it is the size of A4 paper.
- It includes an introduction in Japanese and 11 easy-to-read essay-type chapters covering various cross-cultural differences.
- Hand-drawn illustrations reflect the topics well.
- The book also includes questions at the end of each chapter to test the reader’s understanding of vocabulary, expressions, and overall text meaning.
- It contains a glossary of vocabulary words translated into Japanese.
- Polite Fictions is 86 pages in length.
A Sample Chapter #3 (Not complete)
I think it best if I just provide an example of a chapter for you to read. I will then state how I interpreted it. After which, you can draw your own conclusions. Would they be the same as mine?
Each chapter begins with one or two experiences, then proceeds to explain the differences. It is followed by a few tangential thoughts with examples. Lastly, the chapter ends with a small questionnaire.
These two pages can be summarized as follows: If a Japanese guest visits or stays in an American home, they would likely be told to “make yourself at home” or “help yourself”. This means that their guest status disappears, and they become equals with the host in a relaxed state. On the other hand, if an American guest visits a Japanese home, they are served as an honored guest. The Japanese host is vigilant and attentive to serve. These “parallel reactions” are considered rude to each other because each perspective and cultural upbringing is different.
My apologies, I did not include the whole chapter due to possible copyright infringements.
Content Topics of Polite Fictions in Collision
There is a wide range of topics covered in this small book. It would be best if I provided some topics that are covered in the form of questions.
- Why do Americans ask so many questions?
- Why is your opinion so important? Why do Americans challenge your opinion, too?
- Why do Americans interrupt me so often?
- Why do Americans talk about their feelings so much?
- Why are apologies so offensive to Americans?
- Why do Americans joke so much when they should be more serious?
- Why does “Please continue to support (help) me” offend some Americans?
- And many, many more!
Pros of this book
- The writing style is engaging and entertaining.
- The glossary offers worthwhile vocabulary to an English learner.
- Each chapter features a questionnaire that summarizes the essential points covered.
- There are multiple informative and compelling points in each chapter.
- This book helps Japanese English learners and native English people learn about multicultural differences.
Cons of this book
Polite Fictions is a university textbook designed for advanced learners of English (I strongly advise against upper-intermediate levels). Because of its nature, the book is available on Amazon, but the answer notes are not (Kinseido, the publisher, owns the rights to them). However, this should not discourage you from purchasing this very affordable book for personal use. My students and I were able to answer the questions without difficulty.
The concept of “Polite Fictions” is somewhat perplexing to me and others. In my humble opinion, I would have opted for using the terms “perspectives” or “cultural upbringing” instead (but that would be oversimplifying it, too). This confusion in terminology has been challenging not only for me but also for my fellow native speakers. Perhaps the Japanese interpretation of the term would be simpler to understand? Nonetheless, I typically skip over the term “Polite Fictions”. This is the biggest marring of the book in my opinion.
Lastly, this book was written over 20 years ago. There are a couple of aspects that have slightly changed with the new generation of people since it was written, and I would love to see an update of the book with even more examples to reflect these times. This is a very minor detail.
Is Polite Fictions in Collisions worthwhile?
I highly recommend reading Polite Fictions in Collision. This book is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in understanding cultural differences. Having lived in Japan for 20 years, I found myself nodding in agreement and understanding as I revisited memories both good and bad. Just using chapter 3 as an example, I would have saved myself from the shame and embarrassment I felt when I visited my in-laws for the first time if I had read the book sooner. (I needed to buy extra tea and steal a glass so I wouldn’t need to ask my tiny mother-in-law to reach up to the tall cupboards for cups and to serve me every time I got thirsty).
Polite Fictions in Collision has helped me communicate more effectively with my Japanese students and friends. I have recommended this book to my fellow teachers who have also had a positive experience. Additionally, my advanced Japanese ESL students have found this book to be truly wonderful. You can find the book on Amazon using the following affiliate link.
Polite Fictions in Collision – Amazon Affiliate link.
Thank you for reading.
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