Writing a self-introduction for a host family
You must write a short self-introduction in Japanese to send to your host family before a three-week stay in Osaka. The family consists of a father, a mother, a 16-year-old daughter, and a grandmother. You know that the grandmother lives with them and that the family has asked whether you have any food dislikes. You want to present yourself as friendly but not over-familiar, mention your hobbies (basketball and cooking), say one thing you are nervous about (speaking Japanese on the phone), and ask one question about daily life. Your Japanese teacher says the family will read it aloud to the grandmother, so it must be clear when spoken. You have about 150–200 Japanese characters.
1. Explain how you would structure the introduction and what register you would use, given the audience includes a grandmother.
Read the worked answer
A clear structure for a short spoken-friendly introduction:
- Greeting and name: はじめまして。(Name)と申します。オーストラリアから来ます。Using と申します is humble and appropriate when meeting a host family for the first time.
- Brief self-description: 高校二年生です。趣味はバスケットボールと料理です。Short sentences help when read aloud.
- A honest but positive note: 電話で日本語を話すことが少し心配です。でも、たくさん練習したいです。This states the worry without sounding negative.
- Consideration for the family: おばあさまもいっしょに住んでいると聞きました。よろしくお願いします。Acknowledging the grandmother directly is polite and shows you read their information.
- A question: 週末はいつも何をしますか。One simple question invites a reply.
- Closing: 楽しみにしています。どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。
Register: use です／ます throughout. Do not use casual forms even though the daughter is your age, because the parents and grandmother are the primary audience. Avoid very long sentences and difficult kanji, since it will be read aloud.
2. The family asked about food dislikes. Write what you would say and justify how direct you would be.
Read the worked answer
A suitable line is: 「食べ物の好ききらいはほとんどありませんが、しいたけが少し苦手です。でも、出していただいたら、がんばって食べます」.
Justification:
- Answer the question, because they asked. Ignoring it would leave the family guessing and could cause awkwardness at meals.
- Be specific but limited. Naming one item (しいたけ) is more useful than saying 'I don't like many things', which sounds difficult to host. It also gives the family something concrete to plan around.
- Soften with a willingness statement. Adding がんばって食べます signals flexibility and gratitude, which matters in a hospitality context where refusing food can seem rude.
- Do not overstate allergies as dislikes. If you had a real allergy, you must say so clearly and separately (アレルギーがあります), because politeness must not hide a safety issue. A dislike is negotiable; an allergy is not.
The judgement is balancing honesty, which helps the family, against the Japanese preference for not imposing, which shapes how you phrase it.