How Should We Construct a Dialogue for a Harmonious Society?

The Process of Sharing a Problem with Others and Grasping It as a Mutual Problem

Abstract

Problem-posing dialogical learning aims to find and share the essence of “mutual problems which disturb or prevent a harmonious society” among people whose native languages and cultures are different. This paper describes the change of the participants' recognition regarding a problem posed by one of the foreign participants in the dialogues between them and the Japanese participants in a community-based Japanese language class, and shows the significance of dialogue as a medium for mutual learning. The results indicate the essential elements for a dialogue aimed at realizing a harmonious society. They are: 1) participants should reflect on their own value frameworks without denying those of others; 2) participants need to create an environment where conflict temporarily occurs among themselves, while at the same time they are encouraged to support others' remarks and develop and express trust through collaborative language use such as back-channel feedback, paraphrasing, and repeating; and 3) participants need to openly state what they think about the problem, recognizing a personal connection to and responsibility for society.