英文スピーチ実例
A Farewell Speech


This is a very special occasion for my family and me. First, I'd like to express my sincere appreciation to Bob and Karen who have given this party. And thank you everybody for gathering here this evening.

Seven years ago my wife and I came to California. I've arrived at SF Airport. I still remember vividly what a blue sky it was and a dazzling sun. It was the first time for my wife and me to live in California. We were full of hope, excitement and worries.

One day in Japan, spring 1983, my boss said,” I want you to work in US. Do you have any problem for this assignment?" I replied "No problem!" So, I was transferred to FAI. I was not sure what I was expected to do here in the U.S. When I was about to leave for U.S., my boss gave just one word, "Find your job and do it yourself!" No job description given at all!!! I know the United States is a "Do-it-yourself" country. You must do it yourself.

Since then, I have been struggling for my career here in the U.S. I should encourage myself by the word; "Ask not what the company do for you, but ask what you can do for the company." Kennedy said same thing, right? But easier said than done. To be honest, I was beyond hope in communicating with people. I had a difficulty in speaking and hearing English for the first several years.

People ask me questions, "Where are you from?" "Where do you work?" "Do you play golf?" I know now they are not personal questions by American standards. They are a search for common ground on which to build a relationship or base a conversation. I was at a loss what to talk about whenever they start talking to me friendly. One of the most typical questions is "How long have you been here," or "How long will you be here?" I couldn't determine which question you made. "Ahhhhhh Uhhhhh....What?" Can you imagine how frustrated, how embarrassed and miserable I was. Of course I was scared whenever the phone start ringing. However, I knew this is one of the things that newcomers must go through.

A lot of episodes in making mistakes or mistaking what American said. At the restaurant, waitress asks "Would you like super salad?" "Yes." She ask again "super salad" "Yes"...."??????"........。When you are on board, airline hostess ask you "Would you like coffee?" "yes" He got it. "Oh this is July coffee! I've never heard of the name of coffee. But this taste like regular coffee???" Of course, it's regular coffee. One guy ordered milk, and end up with beer.

These are just beginning of that you miscommunicate. This is not merely because of "language barrier”, but it represents cultural difference.

I started hiring employees six years ago. I read books, attended seminars, consulted executives of the company, as to how to recruit, interview, what questions I should make. You know I had no idea. But I had to follow American way and view. No one stands still. If you are not moving ahead, you are falling behind. This is American view. Look for opportunity, not guarantees. Looking for the next frontier, a new challenge.

I moved ahead boldly. Fortune favors the bold. The harder I work, the luckier I am. But it is not always true. I had to learn and understand what would happen when a Japanese and American work together or come together to transact business. Should know how to carry this out effectively, how and when to initiate, listen, clarify, persuade, and collaborate. Must know, in other words, how to communicate. Cross-cultural communication. Fortunately, I had a lot of opportunity to learn more about different cultural values and different ways of doing things, unfortunately, sometimes through costly mistakes and agony experience. There was no way for me to know before experiencing. Knowledge is power. But Knowledge without practice is nothing. Practice makes perfect. Of course there are also common cultures among nations. For instance, employees in many nations have a philosophy that one works when the boss is present.

I would say, "Respect others, never fail to take the other person seriously. Understand of the values, priorities, and practices of the other by letting go of your ego and pride. And be conscious about the perception gap.

-Water in the cup. One would say: It's half empty. Refill it!
  The other: It's half full. No need to get a refill.

-Homeowner You never pay the rent until I ask for it.
  Tenant I always pay the rent whenever you ask for it.

Most of you here know a joke about a father, who said to his son,

"My boy, don't you know that when Lincoln was your age, he spent all of his free time reading books?" "Yes" The young boy answered, "and don't you know that when Kennedy was your age, he was President!"

What makes them perceive things the way they do.

In any case, this is not a staff meeting nor EF92 communication meeting, so I stop talking about what cross cultural communication means.

To me, it was a great challenge of human relationship to live and work here.
I'm always encouraged by the words.
I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything,
but still I can do something!!!
You must have spirit and vision.

I remember now a lot of fond memories I've learned, experienced, and worked together with you. Old Opry house, Bank meeting, Los Chances, Post office, shooting gun, Bang Bang show, 49 Street, most recently the last laugh Many nice people I've acquainted in the last seven years.

This is not a final good bye, but only a temporary break in our friendship. I keep in touch with you. I'll take my new assignment at Fujitsu Tokyo. New jobs present new challenges, new opportunities, new friends, new experiences --and another culture shock I must expect and prepare for that.

I am moving to Japan. Sure, I'll miss you all of you and this beautiful Ca.
I shall come back here, the country I enjoyed to live.
You know, life is a journey, not a destination.
Life is what's coming, not what was.
Hope springs eternal in the human breast.



Fujitsu Day Speech

Welcome to Fujitsu Day. This is my 26th Fujitsu Day, having joined the company in 1969. This year is especially exciting for me because it represents the beginning of my second stay in the United States.

As many of you know, Fujitsu was founded in 1935. It is now the second largest computer company in the world. Today we celebrate the employees and history that has made Fujitsu a global leader. As we approach the next century. Fujitsu has recognized that it needs to expand its global leadership in computing. Software is the most important strategy for Fujitsu to continue to grow and expand by the year 2000 and beyond. To reach our corporate goals, we must be successful in the United States, which is the leading software market in the world.

So while we celebrate the past 60 years of Fujitsu's history, we also celebrate our future as well. I am very excited about the opportunity facing all of us here today. The challenge before us is large. It is also exciting. Today we celebrate the employees and history that has made Fujitsu a global leader. My dream is that when we participate in Fujitsu Days in the future, we will be able to look back today as our new beginning. As we said in our last meeting, a major part of that new beginning is cooperating together as one company with one identity. That's the key to our success. By harnessing together all of our talents and resources, we can look forward to a future Fujitsu day when you will be able celebrate as a member of the Fujitsu Software Company team who made Fujitsu a global software leader.

In closing I would like to invite each and everyone of you to take advantage of the opportunity too see for yourself a live demonstration of the products and technologies that are vital to our business success. These demonstrations will be available after our meeting today until 12:00 noon.

Locating maps have been placed on your seats and additional copies will be available at the conclusion of this meeting.

Thank you for coming today and sharing Fujitsu Day. I look forward to seeing all of you outside at lunchtime today.

/kjh



Intercultural Competence


Ask an American the time and he tells you how to build the clock! American, on the other hand, feel equally frustrated when they ask for a specific fact or detail but are subjected to twenty minutes of theory, philosophy, or universality without a single concrete fact!

We are dealing, of course, with a critical trading and political partner. Our countries are linked almost inextricably in generating the economic and technical forces, which shape the modern world. At the same time, the two countries are distant and the cultures are distinct. Experienced business personnel in Japan and the U.S. have learned, sometimes through costly mistakes, that the road to success in working together lies, first, in careful study and real understanding of the values, priorities and practices of the other.

Knowing about the other, however, is not enough. Americans who know about Japan, even a lot about Japan, often do not know what happens when a Japanese and an American come together to transact business. Nor do they know how to carry this out effectively. In order to do so, and to accomplish their objectives, Americans must also know-- and when--to initiate, listen, clarify, persuade and collaborate. They must know, in other words, how to communicate. Cross-cultural communication is now in the headlines and boardrooms every day.

Japanese values, techniques and products are having a great impact on American society. Similarly, what Americans want, how they think and why they behave as they do are of intense interest to the Japanese. Interaction is inevitable. Successful interaction, real communication, requires new insights and skills. Business personnel must develop intercultural competence.