NEWS
Emeritus Professor of Ochanomizu University inspires IPU New Zealand students and staff
On Thursday, 3 May 2018, Emeritus Professor Nobuko Uchida of Ochanomizu University gave a motivating lecture to IPU New Zealand students and lecturers about communication skills for the age of globalisation.
Professor Uchida’s two main teaching points were that:
- students’ imagination helps them to understand the world around them; and
- effective cross-cultural communication helps people to build relationships and accept others for who they are.
Professor Uchida also shared her research findings on gender-based behaviours and gender awareness in conversations held between native speakers of Japanese. She explained that true dialogue only occurs when both participants engage in rhythmic turn-taking.
When asked for her advice to students studying in their second language at a foreign university, she said, “Students should learn the correct way to structure an essay in the second language. For instance, in English, they need to write a topic sentence first and then develop their explanation using appropriate linking words. Japanese students in particular must learn to give solid reasoning data and evidence in their essays, leading to a solid conclusion.”
