Monthly Workshop
Chonnam National University
Schedule
2:00 pm
Registration and Welcome
2:30 pm
Topic TBA
Kevin Dieter
3:20 pm
Snack Break
3:40 pm
Comparative Studies of Non-Verbal Communication between
Koreans and Japanese—Focusing on Interpersonal Distance
Miho Hirase, Chonnam National University
4:30 pm
Book Drawing
5:00 pm
Dinner
Admission:
Free for KOTESOL Members and first-time visitors
5,000 won for visitors
http://www.kotesol.org/?q=Gwangju-Jeonnam
gwangju_kotesol@yahoo.com
Comparative Studies of Non-Verbal Communications between Koreans and Japanese—
Focusing on Interpersonal Distance
Abstract: Communication is probably considered one of the most important aspects of
foreign language acquisition today. If a person is very fluent in a foreign language, can
we really say that person has perfect communication skills? This is not always true.
The purpose of this research is to see how culture affects people’s physical distance. By
comparing the interpersonal distance among Korean people and that of Japanese people,
we can have a deep understanding of invisible cultural differences between Korea and
Japan.
Three different experiments have been conducted so far, and each revealed that the in-
terpersonal distance among Koreans is much closer than Japanese. The average interper-
sonal distance of 140 Korean people was 60.0 centimeters, while the average interper-
sonal distance of 140 Japanese people was 77.3 centimeters. This difference does not
only represent physical distance, but also psychological distance as well. In other words,
just like physical distance, emotional distance among Korean people is closer than that
of Japanese people.
Verbal communication is of course important, but it’s time to remind ourselves of the
importance of non-verbal communication. This is not only because of what Albert Me-
hrabian said, but rather, is based on the belief that understanding the differences in non-
verbal communication equals understanding cultural differences.
Biodata: Miho Hirase was born in Tokyo, Japan. She holds a BA in International Affairs
(East Asian Studies) from George Washington University and an MA in Japanese Lan-
guage Education at Chonnam National University in 2009. She has been teaching Japa-
nese at CNU’s Language Education Center and at Gwangju City Hall as a part-time in-
structor since 2008. She is interested in the field of intercultural communication, and is
currently writing a book about the way of life in Korea.