About This Lesson
Use Constructive Responses to Participant Resistance to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
一部の参加者は、そのテーマが既存の習慣に疑問を投げかけるため、抵抗を示すかもしれません。
ee-chee-boo no san-KA-sha wa, sono TEE-ma ga kee-ZON no shoo-KAN ni gee-MON o na-ge-ka-KE-roo ta-MEH, tei-KOH o shee-SOO ka-mo-she-REHN. Some participants may resist because the topic challenges existing habits.
B
参加者が過去の判断を責められていると感じると、抵抗が起こりやすくなります。
san-KA-sha ga KA-ko no han-DAN o se-meh-RA-re-te i-ROO to kan-JEE-roo to, tei-KOH ga o-ko-ree-YAH-soo-koo na-ree-MAHS. Resistance is likely if they feel blamed for past decisions.
A
個人ではなく、仕組みを中心にセッションを構成すべきです。
ko-JEEN de-wa na-ku, shee-KOO-mee o CHOO-shin ni SAY-shon o koh-SAY soo-BAY-kee dess. We should frame the session around systems rather than individuals.
B
そうすれば防御的な態度が和らぎ、より率直な議論が促されます。
soh-soo-SEH-ba boh-GYOH-te-kee na TAI-do ga ya-wa-RA-gee, yo-ree soht-CHOH-koo na gee-RON ga oo-na-GA-sa-re-MAHS. That reduces defensiveness and invites more honest discussion.
A
合理的な人々の意見が食い違った例を含められますか。
goh-REE-te-kee na HEE-toh-BEE-toh no ee-KEN ga koo-ee-chee-GAH-ta REI o foo-koo-meh-RA-reh-MAHS ka. Could we include examples where reasonable people disagreed?
B
そのような例なら、悪役を作らずに複雑さを示せます。
soh-noh YOH-na REI na-ra, AH-koo-yah-koo o tsoo-KOO-ra-zoo ni foo-koo-ZAHT-soo-sa o shee-SEH-mahs. Those examples would show complexity without creating villains.
A
参加者には、意見の不一致に建設的に対応する練習をしてほしいです。
san-KA-sha ni wa, ee-KEN no foo-EE-chee-tsoo ni ken-SETSU-te-kee ni tai-OH soo-roo REN-shoo o shee-TEH ho-SHEE dess. I want participants to practice disagreement constructively.
B
それなら、根拠と話し方について明確なルールが必要です。
soh-REH-na-ra, KON-kyoh to ha-na-shee-KA-ta ni tsoo-EE-teh MAY-kah-koo na ROO-roo ga hee-TSU-yoh dess. Then we need clear rules for evidence and tone.Word by Word
一部
In 「一部の参加者」, 「一部」 means some of the participants, not the whole group. It is used before の to identify a portion of a larger group, such as in the new example 「一部の資料」.
の
In 「一部の参加者」, 「の」 links 一部 to 参加者 and specifies the group being referred to. A common reuse pattern is noun + の + noun, such as the new example 「会議の目的」.
参加者
In 「一部の参加者」, 「参加者」 means people taking part in the workshop. Use it when referring to people who participate in an event, meeting, or activity.
は
In 「一部の参加者は」, 「は」 marks 一部の参加者 as the topic of the statement. It is commonly placed after the person, thing, or group being discussed.
その
In 「そのテーマ」, 「その」 means that or the aforementioned and points to a topic already known in the conversation. It is placed directly before the noun it identifies.
テーマ
In 「そのテーマ」, 「テーマ」 means the topic being discussed in the workshop. It is useful for referring to the subject or central idea of a meeting, lesson, or discussion.
が
In 「そのテーマが」, 「が」 marks the theme as the subject that challenges existing habits. It commonly follows the subject before a description of what that subject does or causes.
既存
In 「既存の習慣」, 「既存」 means existing or already in place. It is used before の to describe something that was already present before the current discussion.
習慣
In 「既存の習慣」, 「習慣」 means a habit or established way of doing something. Here it refers to habits that participants already have and may be reluctant to change.
に
In 「習慣に疑問を投げかける」, 「に」 marks the habits as the target toward which doubt is directed. A reliable reuse pattern is a noun followed by に疑問を投げかける.
疑問
In 「疑問を投げかける」, 「疑問」 means a question or doubt raised about something. This word is commonly used when someone challenges an assumption, decision, or established practice.
を
In 「疑問を投げかける」, 「を」 marks 疑問 as the object of 投げかける. It commonly follows the thing that an action directly affects.
投げかける
In 「疑問を投げかける」, 「投げかける」 means to pose or raise a question or doubt, rather than to throw a physical object. It is useful when bringing a challenge or issue to someone's attention.
ため
In 「テーマが既存の習慣に疑問を投げかけるため」, 「ため」 introduces the reason why some participants may resist. A clause followed by ため can explain the cause of a result or situation.
抵抗
In 「抵抗を示す」, 「抵抗」 means resistance to the topic or its implications. It is used when people do not readily accept, support, or follow a change or proposal.
示す
In 「抵抗を示す」, 「示す」 means to show or express resistance. A reliable pattern is an attitude, feeling, or response followed by を示す.
かもしれません
The construction 「かもしれません」 makes the statement tentative, meaning may or might. 「かも」 marks possibility, while 「しれません」 completes the polite expression; here the possibility is that participants will show resistance.
過去
In 「過去の判断」, 「過去」 means the past or an earlier period. It is placed before の to identify decisions made earlier.
判断
In 「過去の判断」, 「判断」 means a decision or judgment. Here it refers to decisions participants made in the past, especially decisions that may now be discussed.
責められている
In 「責められていると感じる」, 「責められている」 means being blamed or feeling that someone is blaming you. The form describes the participants' experience of receiving blame for past decisions.
と
In 「責められていると感じる」, 「と」 links the content of the feeling to 感じる. It is used here to mark what someone feels or believes.
感じる
In 「責められていると感じる」, 「感じる」 means to feel that something is the case. A common reuse pattern is a statement followed by と感じる when describing a personal impression.
起こりやすく
In 「抵抗が起こりやすくなります」, 「起こりやすく」 means likely or easy to occur. It describes the tendency of resistance to happen and connects to なります to show a change in likelihood.
なります
In 「起こりやすくなります」, 「なります」 means becomes, so the whole phrase says that resistance becomes more likely to occur. It is used after a description of a condition that changes.
個人
In 「個人ではなく」, 「個人」 means individuals or individual people. Here it refers to focusing on people personally rather than on the system.
ではなく
The construction 「個人ではなく」 means rather than individuals or not individuals but something else. In this construction, 「で」 links the noun, 「は」 highlights the contrast, and 「なく」 carries the negative connection to the following phrase.
仕組み
In 「仕組みを中心に」, 「仕組み」 means the system, structure, or way that something operates. Here it identifies the systems around which the session should be organized.
中心
In 「仕組みを中心に」, 「中心」 means the center or main focus. The pattern noun + を中心に is used to say that an activity is organized around that noun.
セッション
In 「セッションを構成すべきです」, 「セッション」 means the workshop session being planned. It can refer to one organized part of a workshop, meeting, or training event.
構成
In 「セッションを構成すべきです」, 「構成」 refers to structuring or organizing the session. A common reuse pattern is an object followed by を and an organizing verb when describing how something is put together.
すべき
In 「構成すべきです」, 「すべき」 means should or ought to and presents the recommended action as necessary or appropriate. It follows the action being recommended, here structuring the session.
です
In 「構成すべきです」, 「です」 gives the recommendation a polite sentence ending. It turns the preceding statement into a polite assertion used in professional discussion.
そうすれば
The construction 「そうすれば」 means if that is done or then, referring to the proposal just mentioned. 「そう」 points to the preceding idea, 「すれ」 supplies the conditional form of する, and 「ば」 marks the condition.
防御的
In 「防御的な態度」, 「防御的」 means defensive, describing a reaction that protects itself from criticism or blame. It is used before な and the noun 態度 to describe that attitude.
な
In 「防御的な態度」, 「な」 links 防御的 to the noun 態度. It is used after this type of describing word when it directly modifies a noun.
態度
In 「防御的な態度」, 「態度」 means attitude or manner of reacting. Here it refers to the defensive response that may soften when the session focuses on systems.
和らぎ
In 「防御的な態度が和らぎ」, 「和らぎ」 means softens or eases. It describes a defensive attitude becoming less intense and connects this result with the following result.
より
In 「より率直な議論」, 「より」 means more or to a greater degree. It is placed before a describing word to increase its degree.
率直
In 「より率直な議論」, 「率直」 means frank, direct, or honest. Here it describes discussion in which participants can speak openly.
議論
In 「より率直な議論」, 「議論」 means discussion or debate. It refers to the exchange of views that the workshop aims to make more honest.
促されます
In 「議論が促されます」, 「促されます」 means is encouraged or promoted. The form presents the discussion as receiving encouragement, and it is useful for describing an action or process that is being encouraged.
合理的
In 「合理的な人々」, 「合理的」 means reasonable or guided by sound reasoning. It describes people here to show that disagreement can occur even when the people involved are reasonable.
人々
In 「合理的な人々」, 「人々」 means people. It refers to the group whose opinions may differ in the examples.
意見
In 「人々の意見」, 「意見」 means an opinion or view. It is used when referring to what someone thinks about an issue, decision, or proposal.
食い違った
In 「意見が食い違った」, 「食い違った」 means differed or did not match. Its past form describes disagreement in examples of earlier situations.
例
In 「食い違った例」, 「例」 means an example or case. Here it refers to a concrete situation in which reasonable people's opinions differed.
含められます
In 「例を含められますか」, 「含められます」 means can include. The polite question asks whether examples of disagreement can be added to the session.
か
At the end of 「含められますか」, 「か」 marks the sentence as a question. It is commonly used after a polite statement when asking for information or permission.
ような
The construction 「そのような例」 means examples of that kind or such examples. 「よう」 creates the resemblance or type expression, and 「な」 connects it directly to the noun 例.
なら
In 「そのような例なら」, 「なら」 means if the examples are of that kind or as for such examples. It sets the condition under which the following result is presented.
悪役
In 「悪役を作らずに」, 「悪役」 means a villain or person portrayed as entirely at fault. Here it refers to avoiding a simple villain figure in the workshop examples.
作らず
In 「悪役を作らずに」, 「作らず」 means without creating. It connects the action of not creating villains to the result of showing complexity.
複雑さ
In 「複雑さを示せます」, 「複雑さ」 means complexity, the quality or degree of being complex. Here it is what the examples can show without assigning blame to a villain.
示せます
In 「複雑さを示せます」, 「示せます」 means can show or can demonstrate. It expresses that the examples have the ability to make the complexity clear.
不一致
In 「意見の不一致」, 「不一致」 means disagreement or a lack of agreement. It is used here for a difference between people's opinions.
建設的
In 「建設的に対応する」, 「建設的」 means constructive and focused on a useful way forward. Here it describes responding to disagreement without turning it into personal conflict.
対応する
In 「不一致に建設的に対応する」, 「対応する」 means to respond to or deal with something. A common reuse pattern is a situation or problem followed by に対応する.
練習
In 「対応する練習」, 「練習」 means practice or training. Here it refers to practicing how to respond constructively to disagreement.
してほしい
The construction 「練習をしてほしい」 means want someone to practice. 「して」 supplies the action of doing the practice, while 「ほしい」 expresses the speaker's desire that the participants do it.
それ
In 「それなら」, 「それ」 refers to the preceding proposal or situation. Together with なら, it helps move the conversation to a consequence: then or if so.
根拠
In 「根拠と話し方について」, 「根拠」 means evidence or the basis supporting a claim. Here it refers to what participants should use when discussing or disagreeing.
話し方
In 「根拠と話し方について」, 「話し方」 means one's way of speaking or manner of expressing something. Here it concerns the tone and manner expected during discussion.
について
The construction 「根拠と話し方について」 means about or regarding evidence and ways of speaking. 「に」 attaches to the topic, and 「ついて」 forms the expression that identifies what the discussion or rules concern.
明確
In 「明確なルール」, 「明確」 means clear and unambiguous. It describes rules whose meaning and expectations are easy for participants to understand.
ルール
In 「明確なルール」, 「ルール」 means rules or agreed guidelines. Here it refers to guidelines for using evidence and maintaining an appropriate tone.
必要
In 「ルールが必要です」, 「必要」 means necessary or needed. The pattern noun + が必要です is used to say that something is required for a purpose.
Grammar Points
～べきだ
仕組みを構成すべきです。
shee-KOO-mee o koh-SAY soo-BAY-kee dess.The system should be structured.
べきだ expresses what someone should do or what is considered the appropriate action.
～られている
責められていると感じる。
se-meh-RA-re-te i-ROO to kan-JEE-roo.I feel blamed.
This passive form describes an action directed at the subject and a continuing state or feeling.
Japanese Vocabulary
テーマ
noun
TEE-ma
topic
過去
noun
KA-ko
past
感じる
verb
kan-JEE-roo
to feel
既存
adj
kee-ZON
existing
起こりやすい
adj
o-ko-ree-YAH-soo-ee
likely to occur
起こりやすく
疑問を投げかける
phrase
gee-MON o na-ge-ka-KE-roo
to challenge; to raise questions about
参加者
noun
san-KA-sha
participant
習慣
noun
shoo-KAN
habit
責める
verb
se-MEH-roo
to blame; to criticize
責められている
抵抗
noun
tei-KOH
resistance
抵抗を示す
phrase
tei-KOH o shee-SOO
to show resistance
判断
noun
han-DAN
decision; judgment
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to show resistance
Show Answer
抵抗を示すto challenge; to raise questions about
Show Answer
疑問を投げかけるto blame; to criticize
Show Answer
責められているlikely to occur