復習２：職業・制度・発表Unit II Assessment
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Use operational keigo accurately in requests, apologies, invitations, and institutional communication, correcting common over-politeness and under-politeness errors.
- Participate in a meeting-style exchange that includes a proposal, a polite objection or alternative, and a summarized decision.
- Read and interpret an official document or notice, identifying its formal written patterns and practical content.
- Write a short formal message or notice appropriate to an institutional audience.
- Organize and deliver a short formal presentation, using transition language, hedged projections, and source attribution.
- Respond politely to an unexpected question, including one that must be deferred.
- Identify which formal register belongs to which medium: spoken keigo, meeting language, written regulatory style, and spoken presentation style.
- Complete an integrated task that draws on keigo, meetings, official documents, and formal presentations from Chapters 6 through 9.
Communication Scenario
The autumn recycling awareness event is now two weeks away. Emma's supervisor has asked her to close out this stage of the project by pulling together everything covered in Chapters 6 through 9: she must respond formally to a request from another department, sit in on a short planning meeting where a scheduling conflict needs to be resolved, read and confirm the details of an official notice about the event, and deliver a brief final status presentation to the wider staff group, taking questions afterward. Nothing new is being introduced in this chapter. Instead, Emma — and the learner working alongside her — must show that keigo, meeting language, official written style, and formal presentation language can all be called on appropriately, in the right medium, for the right audience, without mixing them together.
- The learner reads an official notice and answers questions about its content and formal written patterns.
- The learner listens to a short planning-meeting exchange and identifies the proposal, the objection, and the decision.
- The learner writes a short formal reply to an institutional request, choosing appropriate keigo.
- The learner delivers a short integrated status presentation and responds to at least one audience question.
- The learner completes the Unit II Performance Task, which draws on all four chapters at once.
Vocabulary Review
This chapter recycles and integrates vocabulary from Chapters 6 through 9. No new vocabulary is introduced. The table below reassembles a working set of items across the unit's four domains: keigo and institutional interaction, meetings and negotiation, official documents, and formal presentations.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning | Source Chapter |
|---|---|---|---|
| いたします | いたします | humble form of する, "to do" | Chapter 6 |
| いただく | いただく | humble "to receive" | Chapter 6 |
| 議題 | ぎだい | agenda item | Chapter 7 |
| 調整する | ちょうせいする | to adjust, to coordinate (a schedule) | Chapter 7 |
| 通知 | つうち | notice, notification | Chapter 8 |
| 〜ものとする | ものとする | formal written pattern, "shall be treated as" | Chapter 8 |
| 発表 | はっぴょう | presentation | Chapter 9 |
| 見込み | みこみ | projection, expected outcome | Chapter 9 |
| 課題 | かだい | remaining issue, challenge | Chapter 9 |
| 確認する | かくにんする | to confirm, to check | Chapters 6, 9 |
All items above are productive review at this stage. No unscheduled vocabulary is introduced in this assessment chapter.
れんしゅう — Practice: For each item above, write one sentence that shows which of the four Unit II domains it belongs to (keigo, meetings, documents, or presentations).
Script and Orthography Review
This chapter assesses official document reading, formal writing, listening, and presentation delivery together. No new kanji or script conventions are introduced; instead, this section checks that learners can move correctly among the formatting conventions of four different genres.
A single event can generate four differently formatted texts: an institutional email requesting information (Chapter 6's formulas), a set of meeting minutes with numbered decisions (Chapter 7), an official notice with numbered clauses and 〜ものとする (Chapter 8), and a slide-style presentation outline with short noun-phrase headings and ・ bullets (Chapter 9). Before reading any text closely in this chapter, first identify which of these four layouts it uses, since layout signals which grammar and register to expect.
れんしゅう — Practice: Look at the four short texts in the Reading Assessment section below, without reading them closely yet, and identify which genre each one represents based on layout alone.
Pronunciation and Listening Review
This chapter checks that learners can distinguish three spoken styles by ear: the careful, softened pacing of keigo requests and apologies (Chapter 6); the more conversational but still polite back-and-forth of a meeting, including brief pauses before a polite disagreement (Chapter 7); and the measured, transition-marked pacing of a formal presentation, with a small pitch reset at each section boundary (Chapter 9). No new pitch-accent notation is introduced. Continue maintaining mora timing, vowel length, moraic ん, and phrase-level intonation as in previous chapters.
Grammar Review: Unit II Systems
This chapter assesses operational keigo, meeting language, official written style, and presentation structures together. No new grammar is introduced. The comparison below reviews how the same underlying idea — a request, a statement about the future, or a piece of information — is expressed differently depending on genre.
One idea, four registers
| Communicative need | Keigo / institutional (Ch. 6) | Meeting (Ch. 7) | Official document (Ch. 8) | Presentation (Ch. 9) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Making a request | ご確認いただけますでしょうか。 | その点、確認していただけますか。 | 確認するものとする。 | (not typically used in a presentation) |
| Stating an uncertain future fact | おそらく来週になるかと存じます。 | 来週になりそうですね。 | 来週をもって実施するものとする。 | 来週になるのではないかと思います。 |
| Reporting another person's information | 田中が申しておりました。 | 田中さんがそう言っていました。 | (sources are not typically quoted this way) | 田中さんによると〜とのことです。 |
Purpose of this table: to show learners that Volume IV register control is not about knowing more grammar in isolation, but about selecting the pattern that matches the medium and audience for a single underlying communicative need.
Grammar Review Practice
- Rewrite 確認するものとする。 as something a presenter would say aloud during a status update, using this chapter's presentation-register options.
- Identify which of the four registers above would be least appropriate for a first-time written request to a department you do not know well, and explain why.
- Explain, in your own words, why 〜と考えられます (Chapter 9) and 〜ものとする (Chapter 8) are not interchangeable, even though both concern statements about the future.
Integrated Dialogue
Setting: A short planning meeting the week before the event. A scheduling conflict has come up, and the group must reach a decision. Emma opens with a polite request, the group negotiates, and 田中さん summarizes the decision in meeting-appropriate language.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- Which sentence in this dialogue uses keigo to open a request, and which chapter's patterns does it draw on?
- What proposal does the colleague make, and why does 田中さん not simply accept it?
- How does 田中さん signal that the meeting has reached a decision, and which earlier chapter introduced that pattern?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Register sort. Underline every sentence in the Integrated Dialogue above and label it as keigo/request, proposal, polite disagreement, or decision summary.
タスク２ — Genre matching. Match each of the four short texts in the Reading Assessment section below to the chapter (6, 7, 8, or 9) whose patterns it most relies on.
タスク３ — Register-shift walkthrough. Working with a partner, take a single piece of information (for example, "the event has been moved to a new date") and express it four ways: as a keigo email opening, as a spoken meeting update, as a line in an official notice, and as a hedged presentation statement.
Listening Assessment
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud at a natural meeting pace.
きくタスク — A short meeting exchange
それでは、最後の議題に移りたいと思います。当日の受付の担当者についてですが、現在二人しか決まっておりません。もう一人お願いできる方はいらっしゃいますでしょうか。もし難しいようでしたら、受付時間を短縮することも検討する必要があるかと存じます。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Identify (1) which agenda item this is signaled to be, (2) the current staffing problem described, (3) the request being made, and (4) the backup option mentioned if the request cannot be fulfilled.
Speaking Assessment
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Register-shift drill
- ＿＿＿＿＿について、ご相談させていただけますでしょうか。 (keigo request)
- ＿＿＿＿＿を調整するのはいかがでしょうか。 (meeting proposal)
- まず、＿＿＿＿＿についてご説明いたします。 (presentation opening)
コミュニケーションタスク — Full-cycle status update and meeting
In pairs or small groups, one learner plays Emma and delivers a two- to three-minute integrated update: a brief keigo-style opening request for time, a short section summarizing a scheduling issue as if in a meeting, and a closing presentation-style projection with 以上を踏まえ. A partner should raise one objection or alternative during the meeting section and ask one follow-up question at the end.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: Recorded register shift
Record yourself saying the same underlying message three times in a row: once as a keigo request, once as a meeting-style proposal, and once as a hedged presentation statement. Listen back and check that the vocabulary, sentence-final form, and pacing shift appropriately each time.
Reading Assessment
Read the four short texts below. Each represents a different genre from Chapters 6 through 9. Identify the genre before answering the comprehension questions.
テキスト１
突然のご連絡失礼いたします。来月のイベントの件で、貴部署にご協力いただきたく、ご連絡させていただきました。お手すきの際にご確認いただけますと幸いです。
テキスト２
議題：会場設営の時間調整
提案：設営開始を九時半に変更する
決定：設営開始は九時のまま、係員集合を九時十五分に変更する
テキスト３
秋のリサイクル啓発イベント開催通知
一．開催日：来月十五日とする。
二．会場：地域センターとする。
三．参加を希望する者は、前日までに申し込みをするものとする。
テキスト４
現状
・ボランティア申請：十八人
・会場：確保済み
課題
・雨天時の対応（検討中）
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- For each text, state which chapter's genre it belongs to (6, 7, 8, or 9) and give one formal feature that identifies it.
- In Text 1, what is being requested, and what keigo pattern signals politeness?
- In Text 2, what was proposed, and what was ultimately decided?
- In Text 3, restate item three in your own words in English.
- In Text 4, what remains unresolved?
Writing Assessment
In this assessment you will write a short formal reply to an institutional request, integrating keigo, an acknowledgment, and a next step.
- Open with a polite acknowledgment of the request you are replying to, using an appropriate keigo opening from Chapter 6.
- State your response to the request clearly, using humble or respectful forms as appropriate to your role.
- Add one hedged or confirmed detail about timing or next steps, drawing on either meeting language (Chapter 7) or presentation-style hedging (Chapter 9), whichever fits your reply better.
- Close politely, indicating when you will follow up if anything remains unconfirmed.
- Audit your reply for consistent keigo register throughout, correct kanji, and no accidental mixing of spoken meeting language into the written reply.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- My reply opens with an appropriate keigo acknowledgment.
- My response to the request is clear and uses humble or respectful forms consistently.
- I have not mixed spoken meeting language into a written reply.
- Any uncertain detail is hedged or clearly marked as pending confirmation.
- The closing states a next step or a time frame for follow-up.
- I have checked kanji, particles, and register consistency throughout.
Culture and Communication
Across Chapters 6 through 9, no single grammar pattern is as important to professional competence as the ability to select the right register for the right medium and audience. A perfectly formed keigo sentence used in the wrong context, such as an overly formal request in a casual internal chat, can sound as awkward as an underformal request sent to an unfamiliar department. This chapter's integrated tasks are designed to build exactly this judgment, which continues to matter well beyond this unit.
As in Chapter 9, the exact conventions for meetings, notices, and presentations vary by organization, industry, and individual workplace culture. The patterns reviewed in this chapter are broadly usable defaults, not the only acceptable forms across every Japanese-speaking institutional context.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: Saying aloud in a meeting 確認するものとする。, borrowing Chapter 8's written pattern for a spoken update.
Correction: 確認させていただきます。 — spoken settings call for keigo or presentation register, not written regulatory forms.
Error: Ending a meeting discussion after only one proposal, without a clear summary such as 以上を踏まえ〜ということでまとめさせていただきます.
Correction: Always close a meeting-style exchange with an explicit decision summary, so all participants share the same understanding of the outcome.
Error: Opening a written reply with a fully humble keigo pattern and then closing with a casual sentence-final form.
Correction: Maintain one consistent register throughout a single message; abrupt shifts read as inconsistent rather than natural variation.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. For each item in the Vocabulary Review table, identify which Unit II domain it belongs to and write one original sentence using it.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write the readings for 通知, 議題, 発表, and 確認 from memory, then check them against this chapter.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Complete the Grammar Review Practice exercises above.
2. Choose two rows from the register comparison table and explain, in your own words, why the four expressions are not interchangeable.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Complete the Reading Assessment comprehension questions above.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Complete your formal reply following the Writing Assessment steps, as part of the Unit II Performance Task below.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. Complete the full-cycle status update and meeting task from Speaking Assessment, as part of the Unit II Performance Task below.
Unit II Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
職業・制度・発表 — An integrated professional communication cycle
Complete all three parts below to demonstrate integrated control of Chapters 6 through 9.
- Written reply: Write a short formal reply to an institutional request (following the Writing Assessment steps), maintaining consistent keigo register throughout. Audit it using the Writing Assessment checklist before submitting.
- Meeting exchange: With a partner or instructor, role-play a short planning meeting containing a proposal, at least one polite objection or alternative, and a clear decision summary using 以上を踏まえ〜.
- Status presentation and Q&A: Deliver a two- to three-minute formal status presentation on the same project, using transition words, at least one hedged projection, and one source attribution, and respond to at least one follow-up question, including one you must politely defer.
Assessment focus: accurate and consistent keigo register in the written reply; a complete meeting cycle with a clear proposal, response, and decision; a presentation with signaled structure, hedged claims, and source attribution; a polite and honest framing of at least one deferred answer; correct movement between spoken and written formal registers without mixing them; and comprehensible pronunciation across all three parts.
Answer Key
Vocabulary and Script Review
Open-ended for original sentences; check readings for 通知 (つうち), 議題 (ぎだい), 発表 (はっぴょう), and 確認 (かくにん) against this chapter and Chapters 6 through 9.
Grammar Review Practice
Model answers: (1) 確認するのではないかと思います。 or 確認できると考えられます。 as a spoken presentation-style rewrite. (2) The written regulatory style (〜ものとする) is least appropriate for a first-time written request to an unfamiliar department; that context calls for keigo request patterns from Chapter 6, since regulatory style is meant for notices and rules, not personal requests. (3) 〜と考えられます presents the speaker's own interpretation of evidence in a spoken presentation, while 〜ものとする states a rule or official stipulation in written regulatory text; they belong to different mediums and different communicative functions, not just different politeness levels.
Integrated Dialogue — Comprehension
- Emma's opening line, お忙しいところ恐れ入りますが〜ご相談させていただけますでしょうか, uses keigo request patterns drawn from Chapter 6.
- The colleague proposes moving the setup start time to 9:30; 田中さん does not simply accept because the venue opens at 10:00, so a 9:30 start would feel rushed.
- 田中さん signals the decision with 以上を踏まえ〜まとめさせていただきます, the decision-summary pattern introduced with meeting language in Chapter 7 and extended with the Chapter 9 concluding phrase.
Listening Assessment — Model summary
This is signaled as the final agenda item; the current problem is that only two reception staff have been confirmed; the request is for one more volunteer to help with reception; the backup option mentioned is shortening the reception hours if a third person cannot be found.
Reading Assessment — Comprehension
- Text 1 is Chapter 6 keigo/institutional style, identifiable by 〜させていただきました and 〜幸いです; Text 2 is Chapter 7 meeting style, identifiable by the 議題／提案／決定 labels; Text 3 is Chapter 8 official-notice style, identifiable by numbered clauses and 〜ものとする; Text 4 is Chapter 9 presentation-slide style, identifiable by 現状／課題 headings and ・ bullets.
- Text 1 requests the reader's department's cooperation regarding next month's event; ご協力いただきたく signals the polite request.
- The proposal in Text 2 was to change the setup start time to 9:30; the final decision was to keep setup start at 9:00 and move staff gathering to 9:15.
- Item three states that anyone wishing to participate must submit an application by the day before the event.
- In Text 4, the plan for rain remains unresolved.
Chapter Review — Sections A and B
Open-ended; check against the Vocabulary Review and Script and Orthography Review sections above.
Chapter Review — Section C
See the Grammar Review Practice model answers above.
Chapter Review — Section D
See the Reading Assessment comprehension answers above.
Chapter Review — Sections E and F, and Unit II Performance Task
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate the written reply against the Writing Assessment checklist above, and evaluate the meeting exchange and status presentation against the assessment focus listed under the Unit II Performance Task.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can move confidently among four related but distinct professional registers: keigo requests and institutional interaction, spoken meeting negotiation, formal written documents and notices, and formal spoken presentations with hedging and source attribution. You can select the appropriate register for a given medium and audience, and you can politely defer an answer you cannot yet give. This closes Unit II. Chapter 11 begins Unit III, 文化・文体・仲介, moving from institutional and professional communication into literary style, media analysis, translation and mediation, and regional and social variation.