Japanese Online Lessons using SKYPE

I cannot keep up with meetings conducted in Japanese. Are there any good ways to study?

August 16, 2022

There are several reasons why it is difficult to keep up with the content of meetings, including
(1) Multiple people speak.
(2) The development of the conversation is irregular.
(3) Prerequisite knowledge, such as industry knowledge, is necessary to understand.
(4) The speed is fast.
(5) Many proper nouns and abbreviations are used.
(6) No listening materials for meetings.

Now, let’s consider countermeasures for each of the above reasons.

It will be difficult to change (1) and (2) due to the nature of the meeting.
However, there may be a possibility to have the meeting management devise a way to make it easier to listen. In a company with a high level of diversity, there is a possibility that they will actively try to devise such a way. You should consult with your supervisor or senior staff.

Regarding (3), as I mentioned in another article, I recommend reading industry newspapers to increase your knowledge of the industry.

Regarding (4), if you can understand if you have someone speak slowly, speed training is effective.
Japanese audio materials are usually spoken clearly and slowly so that even learners can easily understand them. If you are used to that, the actual meeting will seem very fast. So, when you listen to the audio material, try listening to it at 1.25x or 1.5x. Also, if you are taking lessons, you can ask your teacher to speak faster so that you can keep up with the meeting.

(5) As for proper nouns and abbreviations, it will be difficult to predict what will appear before the meeting, so you should make an effort to reduce the number of unlearned words. If an unfamiliar proper noun or abbreviation comes up in a meeting, ask a colleague or senior staff member to teach you and accumulate notes on it. You may also search for “XX industry glossary” to find industry terms commonly used in your industry. Check it out once.

(6)What is said at meetings is usually not disclosed to outsiders, making it difficult to study for the meeting.Therefore, if possible, it is also useful to practice recording the meeting with a voice recorder and then listening to it again. (This method usually requires permission from the company.)
If that is not an option, it is a good idea to find audio or video that is similar to the content of the meeting. If it is a panel discussion related to your business, you may be able to find it on Youtube or other sites.
I searched for “panel discussion” and found the following video

マイクロソフト×NewsPicksビジネスセミナー／パネルディスカッション(Microsoft x NewsPicks Business Seminar / Panel Discussion)
https://youtu.be/-eGdtoBSmFE
「エンゲージメント」を高めて「強い組織」をつくるには？(How to Create a Strong Organization by Increasing Engagement?)
https://youtu.be/5l_KYZTyewI
Web API でビジネスをスケールする方法：コチラ現場です！(How to Scale Your Business with Web API: Here’s the scene!)
https://youtu.be/GktSEf1JCGM

None of them have a lot of views, but you can listen to the interactions that are similar to those at the conference.