Clarifying Role Scope and Priorities | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: In a job interview, a candidate clarifies the breadth of a role and explains how they would handle unclear priorities across teams..

EN → JA / Level: B2

About This Lesson

Use Clarifying Role Scope and Priorities to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

その役割は、説明に書かれていたよりも範囲が広そうです。

soh-noh ya-koo-WA-ree wa, seh-tsoo-MAY nee ka-ka-reh-teh EE-tah YOH-ree moh HAHN-ee gah hee-roh-SOH dess. The role sounds broader than the description suggested.
B

役割の範囲が広がったのは、チーム構成が見直されているからです。

ya-koo-WA-ree noh HAHN-ee gah hee-roh-GAHT-tah noh wa, CHEE-moo koh-SAY gah mee-nah-oh-sah-reh-teh EE-roo kah-rah dess. It has grown because the team structure is being revised.
A

優先順位が明確であれば、幅広い役割にも対応できます。

yoo-SEN joon-ee gah MAY-kah-koo deh ah-reh-BAH, hah-bah-ROH-ee ya-koo-WA-ree nee moh tie-OH deh-kee-MAHS. I can handle a broad role if the priorities are clear.
B

最初の優先事項は、社内の連携を改善することです。

SIGH-shoh noh yoo-SEN jee-KOH wa, shah-NIGH noh REN-kay oh KIGH-zen soo-roo KOH-toh dess. The first priority would be improving internal coordination.
A

その点は、部門横断型プロジェクトでの私の経験に合っています。

soh-noh TEN wa, boo-MOHN OH-dahn-gah-tah poo-roh-JEH-koo-toh deh noh wah-TAH-shee noh KAY-ken nee ah-TEH-mahs. That fits my experience with cross-functional projects.
B

期待が食い違っているチームには、どのように対応しますか。

kee-TIGH gah koo-ee-chee-GAHT-teh EE-roo CHEE-moo nee wa, DOH-noh yoh-nee tie-OH shee-MAHS kah. How would you handle teams with conflicting expectations?
A

私はまず、意思決定事項、担当者、そして解決されていない前提を整理します。

wah-TAH-shee wa MAH-zoo, ee-shee-kay-TAY jee-KOH, tahn-TOH-shah, soh-SHEE-teh KIGH-keh-tsoo sah-reh-teh ee-NIGH ZEN-tay oh SAY-ree shee-MAHS. I'd start by mapping the decisions, owners, and unresolved assumptions.
B

それを聞いて、行動する前に時間をかけて問題を理解する方なのだと分かりました。

soh-reh oh KEE-teh, KOH-doh soo-roo MAH-eh nee JEE-kahn oh kah-KEH-teh MOHN-dye oh ree-KIGH soo-roo HOH nah noh dah toh wah-kah-ree-MAH-shee-tah. That tells me you'd take time to understand the problem before acting.

Word by Word

その In 「その役割」, this means “that” and points to the role already under discussion. It is used before a noun when the listener can identify the referent from the conversation, such as in a discussion of a job.
役割 Here 「役割」 means the role or set of responsibilities being discussed in the job interview. It commonly refers to a position’s responsibilities or function, as in 「その役割」.
は Here 「は」 marks 「その役割」 as the topic, so the sentence comments on how that role sounds. It is commonly used after the person or thing the speaker wants to discuss.
説明 Here 「説明」 means the description or explanatory information about the role. It can refer to information in a job posting or other written material, as in 「説明に書かれていた」.
に In 「説明に書かれていた」, 「に」 connects the description with the place or source where the information was written. This use is common when saying that something is written in a document or description.
書かれていた Here 「書かれていた」 means “was written” or “was stated” in the description. It is the form of 「書く」 used here to describe information that had been written there and remained part of the earlier description.
より In 「よりも」, 「より」 introduces the comparison point: the role is broader than what the description suggested. It is commonly placed after the thing used as the basis for a comparison.
も In 「よりも」, 「も」 adds emphasis to the comparison, giving the sense of “than” or “even more than” in this context rather than its standalone meaning of “also.” The combination 「よりも」 is a common way to make a comparison.
範囲 Here 「範囲」 means the scope or range of the role. It commonly describes how far a role, responsibility, or activity extends, as in 「範囲が広そう」.
が Here 「が」 marks 「範囲」 as the subject of the description 「広そう」. It is commonly used to identify what has a particular quality or appearance.
広そう Here 「広そう」 means “seems broad” or “looks wide,” expressing the speaker’s impression about the role’s scope rather than a firm statement. It is formed from 「広い」 with 「そう」 and is useful when making an appearance-based judgment.
です Here 「です」 is the polite sentence ending that presents the impression politely. In an interview, it helps make the statement 「広そうです」 appropriately courteous.
の In 「広がったのは」, 「の」 turns the preceding clause into the topic that follows with 「は」, meaning “as for the fact that it expanded.” This pattern is useful when explaining or identifying the reason for a situation.
広がった Here 「広がった」 means “expanded” or “grew broader,” referring to the scope of the role. It is the past form of 「広がる」 and can describe a scope or situation becoming wider.
チーム Here 「チーム」 means the team involved in the organization being discussed. It is commonly used for a group working together, as in 「チーム構成」.
構成 Here 「構成」 means the structure or composition of the team. In 「チーム構成」, it refers to how the team is organized or made up, a useful expression when discussing organizational changes.
見直されている Here 「見直されている」 means “is being reviewed” or “is being revised,” referring to the team structure. It is the form of 「見直す」 used when the structure is the thing undergoing a current review or revision.
から Here 「から」 means “because” and marks 「チーム構成が見直されている」 as the reason the role’s scope has grown. It commonly follows a clause that explains the cause of a situation.
優先順位 Here 「優先順位」 means the order in which priorities should be handled. It is useful when discussing which tasks or goals should come first, as in 「優先順位が明確」.
明確 Here 「明確」 means clear or explicit, describing priorities that are not ambiguous. It is commonly used for priorities, requirements, or decisions that are clearly defined.
であれば Here 「であれば」 means “if” or “provided that” and sets clear priorities as the condition for handling a broad role. This form is useful when accepting or evaluating a situation under a stated condition.
幅広い Here 「幅広い」 means broad or wide-ranging and describes the scope of the role. It is commonly used for responsibilities, experience, or activities that cover many areas.
対応できます Here 「対応できます」 means “can handle” or “can respond to,” expressing the speaker’s ability to deal with a broad role. It is the polite potential form related to 「対応する」 and appears after the thing being handled, as in 「幅広い役割にも対応できます」.
最初 Here 「最初」 means “first” or “initial,” identifying the beginning of the proposed order of priorities. It commonly modifies a noun that names the first item or step, as in 「最初の優先事項」.
優先事項 Here 「優先事項」 means a priority item or matter that should receive attention first. It is used in planning and work discussions to name a specific priority, as in 「最初の優先事項」.
社内 Here 「社内」 means “within the company” or “internal,” referring to coordination among people or teams inside the organization. It commonly comes before a noun, as in 「社内の連携」.
連携 Here 「連携」 means coordination or collaboration among groups working together. In 「社内の連携」, it refers to cooperation within the company, a useful topic when discussing cross-team work.
を Here 「を」 marks 「社内の連携」 as the object of 「改善する」, the thing that should be improved. It commonly follows the person, thing, or situation directly affected by an action.
改善する Here 「改善する」 means “to improve,” specifically to make internal coordination better. It commonly takes the thing being improved before 「を」, as in 「連携を改善する」.
こと In 「改善すること」, 「こと」 turns the action 「改善する」 into a noun-like item. This allows the improvement itself to be presented as 「優先事項」.
点 Here 「点」 means a point or aspect of the previous statement, not a physical point. In 「その点」, it refers back to the idea just mentioned and is useful when responding to one particular aspect of someone’s comment.
部門横断型 The whole form 「部門横断型」 means “cross-functional” or “spanning departments,” describing projects that involve multiple departments. Within it, 「部門」 means department, 「横断」 conveys crossing across, and 「型」 marks a type or model; the full form modifies 「プロジェクト」 here.
プロジェクト Here 「プロジェクト」 means a project in which work is organized toward a particular goal. It commonly combines with words describing the project’s structure or area, as in 「部門横断型プロジェクト」.
で In 「プロジェクトでの私の経験」, 「で」 marks the project as the context in which the experience was gained. This use is common when describing experience within a workplace activity or setting.
私 Here 「私」 means “I” or “my,” and in 「私の経験」 it identifies the speaker’s own experience. It is commonly followed by 「の」 when describing something belonging to or associated with the speaker.
経験 Here 「経験」 means professional experience, specifically experience with cross-functional projects. It is commonly used when presenting qualifications or past work in an interview.
合っています Here 「合っています」 means “fits” or “matches,” saying that the point aligns with the speaker’s experience. It is the polite form related to 「合う」 and commonly appears with 「に」 to identify what something fits.
期待 Here 「期待」 means expectations held by the teams. It is used in the interview to discuss different expectations that may not point in the same direction, as in 「期待が食い違っている」.
食い違っている Here 「食い違っている」 means “are conflicting” or “do not line up,” describing the teams’ expectations as currently inconsistent. It is the form of 「食い違う」 used for a continuing mismatch and can describe expectations, plans, or understandings.
対応します Here 「対応します」 means “handle” or “respond to” a situation in polite speech. Together with the following 「か」 in 「どのように対応しますか」, it asks how the candidate would deal with conflicting expectations.
か Here 「か」 is the question marker at the end of 「どのように対応しますか」. It turns the preceding polite statement into a question asking about the method of handling the teams.
どのように The whole expression 「どのように」 means “how” or “in what way,” and asks about the method of handling the teams. Within it, 「どの」 indicates which kind, 「よう」 refers to a way or manner, and 「に」 marks that manner; together they form a polite way to ask about method.
まず Here 「まず」 means “first” or “to begin with,” introducing the candidate’s initial step. It is commonly used when explaining an ordered plan or process, as in 「まず、…整理します」.
意思決定事項 Here 「意思決定事項」 means decision-related matters or decision items that need to be mapped. It is useful in project discussions when clarifying which decisions are involved.
担当者 Here 「担当者」 means the person responsible for a matter, or its owner. In this dialogue, the candidate would identify the responsible person for each decision, a common need in project coordination.
そして Here 「そして」 means “and” or “and then,” adding 「解決されていない前提」 as another item in the list. It is commonly used to connect the next point in an explanation or enumeration.
解決されていない Here 「解決されていない」 means “has not been resolved” or “is unresolved,” describing assumptions that remain unsettled. It is the negative form related to 「解決する」 and is useful for issues that are still open.
前提 Here 「前提」 means an assumption or premise underlying the decisions. In this workplace context, the candidate wants to identify assumptions that have not yet been settled before taking action.
整理します Here 「整理します」 means “will organize” or “will sort out,” referring to clarifying the decisions, responsible people, and unresolved assumptions. It is the polite form related to 「整理する」 and is commonly used for organizing information or issues.
それ Here 「それ」 means “that” and refers to the answer or approach just described. In 「それを聞いて」, it points to preceding information rather than to a physical object.
聞いて Here 「聞いて」 means “hearing” or “after hearing,” linking the candidate’s answer with the interviewer’s realization. It is the connective form of 「聞く」 and is commonly used before a clause describing a reaction to something heard.
行動する Here 「行動する」 means “to act” or “to take action.” In 「行動する前に」, it identifies the action that the speaker would delay until after understanding the problem.
前 In 「行動する前に」, 「前」 means “before” and places understanding the problem earlier than taking action. The pattern of a verb clause followed by 「前に」 is commonly used to say “before doing something.”
時間 Here 「時間」 means time as something intentionally invested in understanding the problem. In 「時間をかけて」, it is the object of the expression for spending or taking time.
かけて Here 「かけて」 means “spending” or “taking” time, as in devoting time to understand the problem. It is the connective form related to 「かける」 and commonly follows 「時間を」 before the activity that receives that time.
問題 Here 「問題」 means the problem or issue that needs to be understood. It commonly appears as the object of actions such as understanding or resolving in workplace discussions.
理解する Here 「理解する」 means “to understand,” specifically to understand the problem before taking action. It commonly takes the thing understood before 「を」, as in 「問題を理解する」.
方 Here 「方」 refers politely to a person, specifically someone characterized by the preceding action 「理解する」. The pattern of a verb clause followed by 「方」 can describe a person who has that habit or approach.
なのだ The whole form 「なのだ」 adds explanatory emphasis, presenting the characterization as the point being recognized: the candidate is someone who takes time to understand the problem. Within it, 「な」 links the noun-like 「方」 to the explanatory 「の」, 「の」 frames the explanation, and 「だ」 gives the plain copula.
と Here 「と」 marks 「なのだ」 as the content that the interviewer understood or realized. It commonly follows quoted speech, thoughts, or conclusions before a verb such as 「分かりました」.
分かりました Here 「分かりました」 means “I understood” or “I realized,” referring to the interviewer’s conclusion about the candidate’s approach. It is the polite past form related to 「分かる」 and is useful when politely acknowledging an explanation or drawing a conclusion.

Grammar Points

い形容詞＋そうです

範囲は広そうです。

HAHN-ee wa hee-roh-SOH dess.

The scope seems broad.

そうです after an adjective expresses an impression or appearance: “seems …”. It is not the hearsay pattern here.

～されている／～されていない

チーム構成は見直されている。

CHEE-moo koh-SAY wa mee-nah-oh-sah-reh-teh EE-roo.

The team structure is being revised.

This passive form describes an action affecting something, often as an ongoing or resulting state.

Japanese Vocabulary

チーム構成 noun
CHEE-moo koh-SAY team structure
見直されている verb
mee-nah-oh-sah-reh-teh EE-roo is being revised
広がった verb
hee-roh-GAHT-tah expanded; grew broader
広そうです adj
hee-roh-SOH dess seems broad
書かれていた verb
ka-ka-REH-teh EE-tah was written
説明 noun
seh-tsoo-MAY description
対応できます verb
tie-OH deh-kee-MAHS can handle; can respond to
範囲 noun
HAHN-ee scope; range
幅広い adj
hah-bah-ROH-ee broad; wide-ranging
明確 adj
MAY-kah-koo clear
役割 noun
ya-koo-WA-ree role
優先順位 noun
yoo-SEN joon-ee priority; order of priority

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

was written

Show Answer書かれていた

is being revised

Show Answer見直されている

priority; order of priority

Show Answer優先順位

expanded; grew broader

Show Answer広がった