This paper explores the relation between “favorability” and fluency of speech in different communication situations. In the previous study, native Japanese language teachers evaluated whether the speech of non-native speakers was “favorable” in four different situations. The results showed that the evaluators made more comments on fluency, which suggested that fluency affects a “favorable” impression. The comments were mostly “fluent thus favorable” or “non-fluent thus not favorable,” while in making requests or apologizing situations, some comments were “too fluent to be favorable” or “non-fluent thus favorable.” This means that, depending on the situation, fluency may give a negative impression, and non-fluency, on the other hand, may give a positive impression. This paper analyzes what the speech in each situation actually is, using fluency indicators and discusses what elements of fluency influence “favorability.”

In this study, an analysis was conducted on the speech of six non-native speakers who received more comments on fluency. Using the CAF Calculator, fluency was measured based on four indicators: speech rate, pauses, fillers, and repairs. These measurements were discussed in the study, referring to the comments on fluency offered by the evaluators. It was found that speech with higher speech rate, appropriate number and position of pauses and fillers, and fewer repairs impressed the listeners as fluent. It was also suggested that the use of fillers can give the impression of fluency even when the speech rate is slow, but that the overuse of fillers can give a negative impression. It was also discovered that fluent speech could lead to “favorability” in monologues but could give negative impressions when making requests and apologizing in conversation, while non-fluent speech in the same situations could lead to a “favorable” impression.

This paper examines how keigo is handled in the existing guidelines for “Plain Japanese,” which are currently widely used, and then presents issues on how to handle keigo in “Plain Japanese.” The reason for researching this topic is that when the author has attempted to explain “Plain Japanese” using general books that often say that keigo is “not used” in a particular situation not much theoretical explanation is provided. I decided to investigate and organize the current situation, believing that the “Plain Japanese” could be made even easier to understand and use if guidelines for the use of honorifics were also clearly established. The investigation and discussion were carried out as follows. First, the current state of how keigo is handled in existing explanations of “Plain Japanese” needed to be organized. I searched, extracted, and organized the descriptions of keigo from six general books sold to the public that explain easy Japanese and seven guidelines for easy Japanese published by administrative organizations on their websites and other places that are freely available. As a result, it appeared that the overall trend was to advise the learner to avoid using honorific and humble language, to avoid using "desu/masu" at the end of sentences, and to use "~te kudasai" as the standard form of request. Finally, after summarizing the treatment of honorifics in "Plain Japanese" based on the "Principles of Politeness” (Kabaya 2013) and the "Guidelines for Honorifics” (The Cultural Council Report 2007), etc., I presented various issues for future consideration with regard to the use of honorifics in "Plain Japanese.”

'Taigu Communication' has produced numerous research studies and educational results. However, as we ascertain from following the academic journal "TAIGU-COMMUNICATION," the results have concentrated on language, which is not in line with the thinking at our intuition that "communication does not consist of language alone." Considering communication research and education with a view to understanding communicative acts other than language alone is an important challenge for the future. In this paper, I discuss the multimodal perspective of Taigu Communication and multimodal communication research as a holistic approach to Taigu Communication.

As for research question 1, I examined the concepts of baizai, genzai and bunwa related to form, from a multimodal perspective. Regarding baizai, I explained there are other, nonverbal, baizai such as facial expressions and eye contact in addition to voice and text, and that multiple mediatization occurs at the same time with all of these aspects being interconnected. Regarding genzai, I presented the idea of “communication zai,” and argued that this could lead to a "communication = action" view of communication. Regarding bunwa, if we adopt a multimodal perspective, we can consider sign language, Morse code, and other forms of communication that are not included in writing and discourse.

Research question 2 is addressed in the discussion in Chapter 4, which includes: (1) research on communicative acts using baizai in contexts other than voice and text and the linkage of the five elements related to these acts, (2) research from the perspective of politeness theory and keii communication, and (3) Taigu Communication research based on the view of teaching and learning situations as communicative situations.

This paper strives to impact “Business Japanese” education by clarifying the Taigu consciousness, interpreted from the metalingual phrases used in business emails. A collection of 761 examples of metalingual phrases used in business emails have been mined from ten books, including textbooks, related to business emails, and websites which have authorized use of their data. These extracted examples clearly show Taigu communication dealing with “human relationships,” “time & place,” “consciousness,” “content,” and “form.” After dividing and labeling the data according to the five aspects above, including supporting lower-level concepts, the data was then organized according to what kinds of metalingual phrases can be seen in each area. Additionally, a descriptive analysis was performed for each example by considering which of the five categories the metalingual phrases pertain to, and what sort of Taigu consciousness can be derived from it. As a result, through actual metalingual phrase examples, the abstract concept of Taigu consciousness was able to be shown in an understandable way. In Business Japanese education, instead of memorizing and using business email metalingual phrases just as type of expression, it is important to have the student think about Taigu consciousness through metalingual phrases.