Japanese Language Learning Reviews

Basic Business Japanese (book and audio cassette) by Nancy Young

Score:
8 / 10
Pros:
good coverage of business practices and example situations; plenty of sample dialogs; you even learn trickier nuances of Japanese business language; important cultural notes explain things that impact doing business in Japan; exercises; glossary of Japanese business terms with references to lesson and section numbers; structured around busy schedules; topics from bowing to business cards to answering the phone to discussing fee structures, discounts and unit prices

Cons:
retraces a lot of basic material, but expects you already know some Japanese; lots of vocabulary to memorize; standard dialogues-vocab-explanation-exercises format will put off some; script missing for vocabulary words

In the West, we caricaturize Japanese society as formal, compartmentalized and demanding in the way it follows cultural norms and etiquette. That’s based on a grain of truth, and perhaps nowhere is that truth more evident than in the difference between the everyday Japanese language and standard business Japanese.

Young’s Basic Business Japanese arrives on the scene to fill a perceived gap in Japanese language studies. Even fluent learners struggle with the awkward distinctions made in the formal (and sometimes overly humble) language used in business discussions in Japan.

Instead of undergoing trial by fire, intermediate and advanced Japanese students are invited to learn fluent business Japanese in this lesson course. Basically, you will go through ten lessons of sample dialogues, business vocabulary words, cultural notes and exercise drills to master this unique register of the Japanese language.

Each lesson starts with multiple dialogues. Dialogue pages have gray borders to set them apart from the rest of the lesson. The dialogues are short, but well constructed and realistically relevant to the chapter’s theme. In the lesson on “Entertaining”, you’ll find conversations in which characters invite colleagues to lunch or dinner, propose a toast, make a short speech at a party or thank someone for an invitation that they accept or deny.

Japanese vocabulary is given between dialogs and exercises, so it’s always relevant to reading / listening comprehension tasks and practice exercises. You’ll have a lot to remember, but at least it’s contextualized.

Grammar notes and usage notes point out tricky parts or key points of sentences related to the topic, so Japanese grammar is also studied in context.

Cultural and business practice notes may mention key language phrases, but mostly concentrate on Japanese social norms. As you’d expect, understanding these components of Japanese society is vital to your success in business. Short explanations of practices relevant to each lesson topic are just as essential as linguistic insight.

Exercises are simple and direct, but plentiful. If used well, they will be effective in learning business Japanese.

Overall, this course is a great way to practice your Japanese if you’ll ever use the language in formal business settings. It’s one of the few courses I’ve seen that actively presents you with a wide range of lifelike business conversations in each lesson. I highly recommend buying the audio cassettes for the listening comprehension drills (sorry, no CDs!). This book is also ideal for group or classroom use led by a native Japanese speaker. Dedicated students who fit the course’s profile can learn a lot of relevant Japanese here.