Easy and Smooth Communication Association - Aspiring to offer through Easy Japanese the effective communication of information that anyone can understand -

Ms. Kuroda

Soon after beginning as a freelance Japanese instructor, I learned about Easy Japanese in a lecture and began activities to promote this language. That was when Ms. Narumi Hori, of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, approached me with the Measles Outbreak Alert leaflet I had re-written in Easy Japanese. Ms. Hori had long thought of promoting Easy Japanese among health professionals and invited me to collaborate with her in creating a training course. I subsequently established an association in May 2019 so as to offer "Easy Japanese (Medical) Training" courses in different regions of the country, as well as in Tokyo. I named the organization the "Easy and Smooth Communication Association" with the goal to simplify the language and include various aids so that the non-Japanese party could more easily understand the message. I am also an illustrator and designer and we endeavor to diffuse the greatest amount of information in a manner that is easily understood through illustrations and improved designs.

Ms. Kuroda

The main activity is to offer Easy Japanese (Medical) Training Courses designed and developed in collaboration with the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, and we offer three Easy Japanese courses focused on the healthcare setting. The first level is the "Easy Japanese (Medical) Supporter Training Course" to understand the basics of Easy Japanese and gives one the ability to share these basics with colleagues. The second level is the "Easy Japanese (Medical) Instructor Training Course" which gives one the ability to provide advice using the basic knowledge of Easy Japanese. And the last level is the "Easy Japanese (Medical) Trainer Training Course" which gives one the ability to organize Easy Japanese seminars. The majority of participants are nurses, public health nurses, pharmacists, and hospital administrative staff interested in Easy Japanese due to their increased contact with foreign people in healthcare settings. We sometimes have university professors as participants who teach medical interpreter training courses. Many participants comment on becoming aware, "I am employing difficult words in daily conversations", "It is challenging to speak in a way that is simple and easy to understand", etc.

Ms. Kuroda

First, Ms. Hori speaks about factors to consider when using translation devices or apps in a healthcare setting, the reasons why Easy Japanese is required, and the use of medical interpreters. There is always something new and inspiring in Ms. Hori's lecture and I look forward to hearing each one. I then explain the basics of Easy Japanese. For example, in the following expressions---"Konnyaku wa futoranai" (literally translates to "Japanese yam cake does not get fat" but actually means "You can't get fat eating Japanese yam cake"), and "Kyo wa kojichu desu" (literally translates to "Today is Under Construction" but actually means "There is construction work today")---we Japanese naturally understand the correct meaning. However, foreigners may literally interpret them as: "Japanese yam cake doesn't grow" and "kyo is kojichu" (in other words, "kyo = kojichu"). Words should be added for foreigners to correctly understand these sentences, for example, "Konnyaku wa tabetemo futoranai" (You can't get fat eating Japanese yam cake), and "Kyo wa kono tatemono wa koji wo shite imasu" (This building is under construction today). Having this type of awareness leads us to understand which Japanese words must be entered into translation devices to obtain the correct translation. The ability to master Easy Japanese improves with experience, so in the training course we do many exercises by translating Japanese expressions into Easy Japanese. We begin translating common daily expressions and then move on to translating phrases frequently used in a healthcare setting. I advise participants to use phrases rather than single words. For example "kentaikan" (fatigue), commonly heard now due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is more readily understood if we say, "to feel very tired and not to want to move".

Ms. Kuroda

Here is an example: I once thought that the word "keisho" (mild) when referring to Covid-19 symptoms, was similar to the symptoms of a common cold. However, by listening to the news I know that "keisho" actually means even when a patient experiences difficulty breathing or feels deep malaise. Just like this example, there can be different understandings of the same word between health professionals and the general public. Therefore it is not advisable to believe that "keisho" can be translated to "not serious" in Easy Japanese based only on your image. In addition to autonomous research, at times it is best to consult with a healthcare professional about the definition of words when necessary. Furthermore, when attending to a foreigner in a healthcare setting, it is necessary to determine to what degree to communicate in Easy Japanese, and at what point to use a medical interpreter or translation device to offer multilingual support. Nonetheless, be it by medical interpreters or translation devices, health professionals have no way of knowing if the translation into a foreign language is accurate. Therefore, even when employing an interpreter or device, it is important to provide explanations in Easy Japanese to reduce the chances of misinterpretation and misunderstandings.

Ms. Kuroda

In the course I instruct participants to first try speaking Japanese upon meeting a foreigner in Japan. When doing so, it is most important to observe the reaction of the person. Did she/he respond in a foreign language? Did she/he answer in halting or fluent Japanese? Did she/he appear not to understand what was said? It is important to tailor your actions to their reactions. In addition, although a characteristic of Easy Japanese is to avoid honorific expressions, many foreign people have commented to me that they don't like being spoken to in a casual way, or spoken to as if a child once they are perceived to be foreigners. Once, when I overheard a pharmacist instruct a foreigner in a pharmacy, "Kono okusuri wo gokkun shite kudasaine" (swallow the pills at one gulp, OK?) as if speaking to a small child, even I was shocked. I would like to see foreign people being treated with truly mindful consideration.

Ms. Kuroda

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic we cannot offer group training at the moment but would like to gradually restart online classes and use e-learning. In addition, as much as possible we want to accept requests to hold lectures and seminars, to contribute Easy Japanese articles, to rewrite text into Easy Japanese, etc. As Easy Japanese in the medical field is a hallmark of our organization, we would like to prepare specific courses for its various occupations, such as nurses, public health nurses and pharmacists. And lastly, in addition to myself, we would like to have more personnel who can teach the courses. Easy Japanese in the medical field may seem challenging but we hope to acquire more colleagues with whom to continue working.