Unit Two
Text A
Conversational Ballgames
I,Teaching Objectives
II,Leading –in
III,Intensive Study
IV,Structural analysis of the text
V,Techniques Employed in the
Writing
VI,Further Discussion
To clarify the differences between the
western-style conversation and the
Japanese-style conversation.
To Understand the purpose the author
hope to achieve by writing this article and
be aware of different culture of different
countries/communities
I,Teaching Objectives
To understand the close relationship
between language and culture,and learn
how to use English correctly in a cultural
context,
Familiarize the students with the usage of
key words and phrases; the use of
analogy; the way of comparison and
contrast;construction of an expository
writing (which is usually made up of
introduction,body,ending)
Cultural Quiz,True or False questions
1,In France you should send flowers
before visiting a home for dinner,But
don’t send chrysanthemums(菊花 ); they’re
for funerals.
Key,True
II,Leading -in
2,When giving a gift to a Japanese,you
should make sure the gift is wrapped in
black,white,pink or other very bright
colors instead of in gray or brown.
Key,False
3,In West Germany flowers are an
appropriate gift to take to a business
colleague’s wife when you are invited to
dinner,But don’t bring red roses; they’re
for lovers.
Key,True
4,Young Korean businessmen expect their
wives to be invited by foreigners to attend
business or pleasure meetings in the
evening,They also expect their wives to
decline the invitation.
Key,True
5,When visiting Japan,you needn’t have
one side of your business card printed in
Japanese.
Key,False
Text-related information (2)
BOWLING GAME
An indoor game in which you roll a large heavy
ball along a wooden track in order to knock down a
group of pins (wooden objects shaped like bottles).
Text-related information (1)
TENNIS
A game for two people
or two pairs of people who
use rackets to hit a small
soft ball backwards and
forwards over a net.
Pre-Reading Activities
Intensive Study
Difficult sentences
Key words,phrases & usages
Related information
Intensive Study
Conversational Ballgames
by Nancy Mansterson Sakamoto
1 After I was married and had lived in Japan for a while,my
Japanese gradually improved to the point where I could take
part in simple conversations with my husband,his friends,and
family,And I began to notice that often,when I joined in,the
others would look startled,and the conversation would come to
a halt,After this happened several times,it became clear to me
that I was doing something wrong,But for a long time,I didn't
know what it was.
Intensive Study
2 Finally,after listening carefully to many Japanese
conversations,I discovered what my problem was,Even though
I was speaking Japanese,I was handling the conversation in a
Western way.
3 Japanese-style conversations develop quite differently from
western-style conversations,And the difference isn't only in the
languages,I realized that just as I kept trying to hold western-
style conversations even when I was speaking Japanese,so were
my English students trying to hold Japanese style conversations
even when they were speaking English,We were unconsciously
playing entirely different conversational ballgames.
Intensive Study
4 A western-style conversation between two people is like a
game of tennis,If I introduce a topic,a conversational ball,I
expect you to hit it back,If you agree with me,I don't expect you
simply to agree and do nothing more,I expect you to add
something — a reason for agreeing,another example,or a
remark to carry the idea further,But I don't expect you always
to agree,I am just as happy if you question me,or challenge me,
or completely disagree with me,Whether you agree or disagree,
your response will return the ball to me.
Intensive Study
5 And then it is my turn again,I don't serve a new ball from
my original starting line,I hit your ball back again from where it
has bounced,I carry your idea further,or answer your questions
or objections,or challenge or question you,And so the ball goes
back and forth.
6 If there are more than two people in the conversation,then it
is like doubles in tennis or like volleyball,There's no waiting in
line,Whoever is nearest and quickest hits the ball,and if you
step back,someone else will hit it,No one stops the game to give
you a turn,You're responsible for taking your own turn and no
one person has the ball for very long.
Intensive Study
7 A Japanese style conversation,however,is not at all like
tennis or volleyball,it's like bowling,You wait for your turn,and
you always know your place in line,It depends on such things as
whether you are older or younger,a close friend or a relative
stranger to the previous speaker,in a senior or junior position,
and so on.
Intensive Study
8 The first thing is to wait for your turn,patiently and politely.
When your moment comes,you step up to the starting line with
your bowling ball,and carefully bowl it,Everyone else stands
back,making sounds of polite encouragement,Everyone waits
until your ball has reached the end of the lane,and watches to
see if it knocks down all the pins,or only some of them,or none
of them,Then there is a pause,while everyone registers your
score.
Intensive Study
9 Then,after everyone is sure that you are done,the next
person in line steps up to the same starting line,with a different
ball,He doesn't return your ball,There is no back and forth at
all,And there is always a suitable pause between turns,There is
no rush,no impatience.
10 No wonder everyone looked startled when I took part in
Japanese conversations,I paid no attention to whose turn it was,
and kept snatching the ball halfway down the lane and throwing
it back at the bowler,Of course the conversation fell apart,I was
playing the wrong game.
Intensive Study
11 This explains why it can be so difficult to get a western-style
discussion going with Japanese students of English,Whenever I
serve a volleyball,everyone just stands back and watches it fall.
No one hits it back,Everyone waits until I call on someone to
take a turn,And when that person speaks,he doesn't hit my ball
back,He serves a new ball,Again,everyone just watches it fall.
So I call on someone else,This person does not refer to what the
previous speaker has said,He also serves a new ball,Everyone
begins again from the same starting line,and all the balls run
parallel,There is never any back and forth.
Intensive Study
12 Now that you know about the difference in the
conversational ballgames,you may think that all your troubles
are over,But if you have been trained all your life to play one
game,it is no simple matter to switch to another,even if you
know the rules,Tennis,after all,is different from bowling.
to the point where
— until,to the extent that,up to the time when
something develops or is achieved
Example:
He exercised so hard to the point where he couldn't
move.Key:
I studied Japanese to the point where I became a
fluent speaker.
Key words,phrases & usages
come to a halt
— stop moving; stop completely
Example:
The car slowed down and came to a halt in front
of the building.
Key words,phrases & usages
whoever
— no matter who
Example:
Whoever comes here will receive a VIP welcome.
Cf.
Whatever,however,wherever,whichever,etc,can be
used as conjunctions in the same way as the expressions
no matter what,no matter how,and so on.
e.g,Please let us know no matter where you go.
= Please let us know wherever you go.
e.g,Life goes on no matter how upset you are.
= However upset you are,life goes on.
More to learn
Grammar Focus
whoever
— no matter who
Drill,Rewrite the following two sentences.
1,No matter which one you choose,you’ll be
disappointed.
2,No matter what reason you have,you should not
cheat.
Whichever you choose,you’ll be disappointed
You should not cheat whatever reason you have.
More to learn
Grammar Focus
whoever
— no matter who
Drill,Complete the following sentences(P.41,Ex,VIII):
1,(谁最胜任谁就 ) _____ should get the job.
2,(每当天气不好时 ) _____,he takes whatever umbrella he
can find.
3,He makes a lot of friends (不管他到哪儿 ) _____.
4,She could not remember what she had dreamed of,
(不管她怎样努力 ) _____.
Whenever the weather's bad
wherever he goes
however hard she tried
Grammar Focus
Whoever is most qualified
take turns
— do something one by one in regular order
Fill in the blank:
Hey,don’t jump the queue! You should _____ (等着轮到你 ).
wait to take your turn
Example:
The students take turns answering the teacher's
questions.
Key words,phrases & usages
previous
— happening,coming,or being earlier in time or order
Translate:
The police asked the suspect where he had been the
previous night.
Key:
警察问嫌疑人 前一天 晚上去了哪里。
Key words,phrases & usages
halfway
— at the midpoint between two things
Example
I was halfway up the stairs when I heard a knock at
the door.
Translate:
不要中途放弃，你能成功的。
Key:
Don’t give up halfway,You can make it.
Key words,phrases & usages
refer to
— talk about or mention; speak about
Translate:
The president referred to the economic crisis in Asia
in his TV statement.
Key:
总统在电视讲话中 提到了 亚洲经济危机。
Ex mple
Although the newspaper article named no names,
everyone knew it was referring to the bad behavior
of the voted World Footballer of the Year.
Key words,phrases & usages
now (that)
— as a result of the fact (that); since
Example
Now that I've been to the concert,I understand why
young people are so crazy about the superstar.
Translate:
既然你成年了，就要对自己的所作所为负责。
Key:
Now that you’re coming of age,you should be
responsible for what you do.
Key words,phrases & usages
More to learn
now (that)
— as a result of the fact (that); since
Complete the following sentences:(p,42,Ex,X)
1,Now that he is getting older,_____.
2,_____ now that the bus has broken down halfway.
he might be more patient
I have to take a taxi home
Key words,phrases & usages
switch
— change,esp,suddenly
Fill in the blank:
It is no good for you to _____ (太经常换工作 ).
switch jobs too often
Example:
He didn't seem to like any of the programs and kept
switching from one channel to another.
Key words,phrases & usages
This is an expository writing which is
generally made up of introduction,
text/content and ending.
Para.1-3 Introduction
Topic presented,The author found it
difficult to join in a Japanese conversation,
and she considered the difference in
conversation style as the reason,
IV,Structural analysis of the text
Para.4-9 Comparison and contrast
Detailed Analysis,Respective description
of the western and the Japanese
conversation styles,A Western-style
conversation is like a game of tennis,
while a Japanese-style conversation is like
bowling,
Para.10-11,How the two different styles
influence the conversation
The author is handling the Japanese
conversation in a western way,while her
students are always handling the English
conversation in a Japanese way.
Para.12 Conclusion/Ending
Even if they know the difference,it’s still very
hard to get used to another conversational style,
Knowing the rules is not at all the same thing as
playing the game,
Comparison,one thing is like another in some
way
e.g,
Para.4-6
western-style conversation→ playing tennis
Para.7-9
Japanese-style conversation→ bowling
V,Techniques Employed in the
Writing
Contrast,compare two things to
show their difference
Line 15-19
Just as I kept trying to hold western-
style conversations even when I was
speaking Japanese,so were my English
students trying to hold Japanese-style
conversations even when they were speaking
English.
Analogy,it is also a form of
comparison,but unlike
simile or metaphor which
usually uses comparison on
one point of resemblance,
analogy draws a parallel
between two unlike things
that have several common
qualities or points of
resemblance.
e.g,(1),Line 21,A western-style
conversation between two people is like a
game of tennis.”
(2),Line 35,If there are more than two
people in the conversation,then it is like
doubles in tennis,or like volleyball.”
(3),Line 41,A Japanese-style
conversation,however,is not at all like
tennis or volleyball,it is like bowling.”
VI,Further Discussion
In this part,the students will be divided into
groups to discuss the cultural difference and
give examples,The results will be presented
before the class,The following are some clues:
The way of greeting,the way of addressing
people,some taboo topic (such as age,weight,
marriage status,salary,etc.),how to respond to
compliment,how to accept invitation,
I.Q.
智商
E.Q.
情商
C,Q.
文商
THANK YOU!
Text A
Conversational Ballgames
I,Teaching Objectives
II,Leading –in
III,Intensive Study
IV,Structural analysis of the text
V,Techniques Employed in the
Writing
VI,Further Discussion
To clarify the differences between the
western-style conversation and the
Japanese-style conversation.
To Understand the purpose the author
hope to achieve by writing this article and
be aware of different culture of different
countries/communities
I,Teaching Objectives
To understand the close relationship
between language and culture,and learn
how to use English correctly in a cultural
context,
Familiarize the students with the usage of
key words and phrases; the use of
analogy; the way of comparison and
contrast;construction of an expository
writing (which is usually made up of
introduction,body,ending)
Cultural Quiz,True or False questions
1,In France you should send flowers
before visiting a home for dinner,But
don’t send chrysanthemums(菊花 ); they’re
for funerals.
Key,True
II,Leading -in
2,When giving a gift to a Japanese,you
should make sure the gift is wrapped in
black,white,pink or other very bright
colors instead of in gray or brown.
Key,False
3,In West Germany flowers are an
appropriate gift to take to a business
colleague’s wife when you are invited to
dinner,But don’t bring red roses; they’re
for lovers.
Key,True
4,Young Korean businessmen expect their
wives to be invited by foreigners to attend
business or pleasure meetings in the
evening,They also expect their wives to
decline the invitation.
Key,True
5,When visiting Japan,you needn’t have
one side of your business card printed in
Japanese.
Key,False
Text-related information (2)
BOWLING GAME
An indoor game in which you roll a large heavy
ball along a wooden track in order to knock down a
group of pins (wooden objects shaped like bottles).
Text-related information (1)
TENNIS
A game for two people
or two pairs of people who
use rackets to hit a small
soft ball backwards and
forwards over a net.
Pre-Reading Activities
Intensive Study
Difficult sentences
Key words,phrases & usages
Related information
Intensive Study
Conversational Ballgames
by Nancy Mansterson Sakamoto
1 After I was married and had lived in Japan for a while,my
Japanese gradually improved to the point where I could take
part in simple conversations with my husband,his friends,and
family,And I began to notice that often,when I joined in,the
others would look startled,and the conversation would come to
a halt,After this happened several times,it became clear to me
that I was doing something wrong,But for a long time,I didn't
know what it was.
Intensive Study
2 Finally,after listening carefully to many Japanese
conversations,I discovered what my problem was,Even though
I was speaking Japanese,I was handling the conversation in a
Western way.
3 Japanese-style conversations develop quite differently from
western-style conversations,And the difference isn't only in the
languages,I realized that just as I kept trying to hold western-
style conversations even when I was speaking Japanese,so were
my English students trying to hold Japanese style conversations
even when they were speaking English,We were unconsciously
playing entirely different conversational ballgames.
Intensive Study
4 A western-style conversation between two people is like a
game of tennis,If I introduce a topic,a conversational ball,I
expect you to hit it back,If you agree with me,I don't expect you
simply to agree and do nothing more,I expect you to add
something — a reason for agreeing,another example,or a
remark to carry the idea further,But I don't expect you always
to agree,I am just as happy if you question me,or challenge me,
or completely disagree with me,Whether you agree or disagree,
your response will return the ball to me.
Intensive Study
5 And then it is my turn again,I don't serve a new ball from
my original starting line,I hit your ball back again from where it
has bounced,I carry your idea further,or answer your questions
or objections,or challenge or question you,And so the ball goes
back and forth.
6 If there are more than two people in the conversation,then it
is like doubles in tennis or like volleyball,There's no waiting in
line,Whoever is nearest and quickest hits the ball,and if you
step back,someone else will hit it,No one stops the game to give
you a turn,You're responsible for taking your own turn and no
one person has the ball for very long.
Intensive Study
7 A Japanese style conversation,however,is not at all like
tennis or volleyball,it's like bowling,You wait for your turn,and
you always know your place in line,It depends on such things as
whether you are older or younger,a close friend or a relative
stranger to the previous speaker,in a senior or junior position,
and so on.
Intensive Study
8 The first thing is to wait for your turn,patiently and politely.
When your moment comes,you step up to the starting line with
your bowling ball,and carefully bowl it,Everyone else stands
back,making sounds of polite encouragement,Everyone waits
until your ball has reached the end of the lane,and watches to
see if it knocks down all the pins,or only some of them,or none
of them,Then there is a pause,while everyone registers your
score.
Intensive Study
9 Then,after everyone is sure that you are done,the next
person in line steps up to the same starting line,with a different
ball,He doesn't return your ball,There is no back and forth at
all,And there is always a suitable pause between turns,There is
no rush,no impatience.
10 No wonder everyone looked startled when I took part in
Japanese conversations,I paid no attention to whose turn it was,
and kept snatching the ball halfway down the lane and throwing
it back at the bowler,Of course the conversation fell apart,I was
playing the wrong game.
Intensive Study
11 This explains why it can be so difficult to get a western-style
discussion going with Japanese students of English,Whenever I
serve a volleyball,everyone just stands back and watches it fall.
No one hits it back,Everyone waits until I call on someone to
take a turn,And when that person speaks,he doesn't hit my ball
back,He serves a new ball,Again,everyone just watches it fall.
So I call on someone else,This person does not refer to what the
previous speaker has said,He also serves a new ball,Everyone
begins again from the same starting line,and all the balls run
parallel,There is never any back and forth.
Intensive Study
12 Now that you know about the difference in the
conversational ballgames,you may think that all your troubles
are over,But if you have been trained all your life to play one
game,it is no simple matter to switch to another,even if you
know the rules,Tennis,after all,is different from bowling.
to the point where
— until,to the extent that,up to the time when
something develops or is achieved
Example:
He exercised so hard to the point where he couldn't
move.Key:
I studied Japanese to the point where I became a
fluent speaker.
Key words,phrases & usages
come to a halt
— stop moving; stop completely
Example:
The car slowed down and came to a halt in front
of the building.
Key words,phrases & usages
whoever
— no matter who
Example:
Whoever comes here will receive a VIP welcome.
Cf.
Whatever,however,wherever,whichever,etc,can be
used as conjunctions in the same way as the expressions
no matter what,no matter how,and so on.
e.g,Please let us know no matter where you go.
= Please let us know wherever you go.
e.g,Life goes on no matter how upset you are.
= However upset you are,life goes on.
More to learn
Grammar Focus
whoever
— no matter who
Drill,Rewrite the following two sentences.
1,No matter which one you choose,you’ll be
disappointed.
2,No matter what reason you have,you should not
cheat.
Whichever you choose,you’ll be disappointed
You should not cheat whatever reason you have.
More to learn
Grammar Focus
whoever
— no matter who
Drill,Complete the following sentences(P.41,Ex,VIII):
1,(谁最胜任谁就 ) _____ should get the job.
2,(每当天气不好时 ) _____,he takes whatever umbrella he
can find.
3,He makes a lot of friends (不管他到哪儿 ) _____.
4,She could not remember what she had dreamed of,
(不管她怎样努力 ) _____.
Whenever the weather's bad
wherever he goes
however hard she tried
Grammar Focus
Whoever is most qualified
take turns
— do something one by one in regular order
Fill in the blank:
Hey,don’t jump the queue! You should _____ (等着轮到你 ).
wait to take your turn
Example:
The students take turns answering the teacher's
questions.
Key words,phrases & usages
previous
— happening,coming,or being earlier in time or order
Translate:
The police asked the suspect where he had been the
previous night.
Key:
警察问嫌疑人 前一天 晚上去了哪里。
Key words,phrases & usages
halfway
— at the midpoint between two things
Example
I was halfway up the stairs when I heard a knock at
the door.
Translate:
不要中途放弃，你能成功的。
Key:
Don’t give up halfway,You can make it.
Key words,phrases & usages
refer to
— talk about or mention; speak about
Translate:
The president referred to the economic crisis in Asia
in his TV statement.
Key:
总统在电视讲话中 提到了 亚洲经济危机。
Ex mple
Although the newspaper article named no names,
everyone knew it was referring to the bad behavior
of the voted World Footballer of the Year.
Key words,phrases & usages
now (that)
— as a result of the fact (that); since
Example
Now that I've been to the concert,I understand why
young people are so crazy about the superstar.
Translate:
既然你成年了，就要对自己的所作所为负责。
Key:
Now that you’re coming of age,you should be
responsible for what you do.
Key words,phrases & usages
More to learn
now (that)
— as a result of the fact (that); since
Complete the following sentences:(p,42,Ex,X)
1,Now that he is getting older,_____.
2,_____ now that the bus has broken down halfway.
he might be more patient
I have to take a taxi home
Key words,phrases & usages
switch
— change,esp,suddenly
Fill in the blank:
It is no good for you to _____ (太经常换工作 ).
switch jobs too often
Example:
He didn't seem to like any of the programs and kept
switching from one channel to another.
Key words,phrases & usages
This is an expository writing which is
generally made up of introduction,
text/content and ending.
Para.1-3 Introduction
Topic presented,The author found it
difficult to join in a Japanese conversation,
and she considered the difference in
conversation style as the reason,
IV,Structural analysis of the text
Para.4-9 Comparison and contrast
Detailed Analysis,Respective description
of the western and the Japanese
conversation styles,A Western-style
conversation is like a game of tennis,
while a Japanese-style conversation is like
bowling,
Para.10-11,How the two different styles
influence the conversation
The author is handling the Japanese
conversation in a western way,while her
students are always handling the English
conversation in a Japanese way.
Para.12 Conclusion/Ending
Even if they know the difference,it’s still very
hard to get used to another conversational style,
Knowing the rules is not at all the same thing as
playing the game,
Comparison,one thing is like another in some
way
e.g,
Para.4-6
western-style conversation→ playing tennis
Para.7-9
Japanese-style conversation→ bowling
V,Techniques Employed in the
Writing
Contrast,compare two things to
show their difference
Line 15-19
Just as I kept trying to hold western-
style conversations even when I was
speaking Japanese,so were my English
students trying to hold Japanese-style
conversations even when they were speaking
English.
Analogy,it is also a form of
comparison,but unlike
simile or metaphor which
usually uses comparison on
one point of resemblance,
analogy draws a parallel
between two unlike things
that have several common
qualities or points of
resemblance.
e.g,(1),Line 21,A western-style
conversation between two people is like a
game of tennis.”
(2),Line 35,If there are more than two
people in the conversation,then it is like
doubles in tennis,or like volleyball.”
(3),Line 41,A Japanese-style
conversation,however,is not at all like
tennis or volleyball,it is like bowling.”
VI,Further Discussion
In this part,the students will be divided into
groups to discuss the cultural difference and
give examples,The results will be presented
before the class,The following are some clues:
The way of greeting,the way of addressing
people,some taboo topic (such as age,weight,
marriage status,salary,etc.),how to respond to
compliment,how to accept invitation,
I.Q.
智商
E.Q.
情商
C,Q.
文商
THANK YOU!
