skills/rehearse-japanese-speaking/references/explanation-tasks.md

# Explanation tasks

An explanation is successful when a defined listener understands the intended takeaway. It is not merely a long monologue or vocabulary display.

## Task schema

```yaml
topic:
listener:
listener_prior_knowledge:
intended_takeaway:
purpose: inform | persuade | compare | narrate
soft_target:
required_elements:
likely_misunderstanding:
follow_up_question:
primary_focus:
secondary_focus:
```

## Default structure

Use selectively:

1. main point or simple definition;
2. mechanism, reason, or sequence;
3. concrete example;
4. qualification, contrast, or misconception;
5. conclusion linked to the original question.

Provide keywords or sentence openings, not a complete response.

## Listener behavior

After the learner’s first extended turn, behave like a real listener:

- paraphrase what you understood;
- ask about an unclear causal step;
- request a concrete example;
- ask for a simpler explanation;
- challenge one assumption;
- reveal a plausible misunderstanding.

Do not simply praise and switch into teacher mode.

## Templates

### Personal experience with a point

Possible topics:
- difficult interaction in Japan;
- cultural misunderstanding;
- trip that changed an opinion;
- project success or failure.

Structure:
context → event → turning point → realization → why it matters.

Common targets:
- too much setup;
- unclear chronology;
- no central point;
- fragmented clauses;
- weak listener orientation.

Variation:
2 minutes to a friend → 1 minute to a coworker → 30-second takeaway.

### Explain a process

Examples:
- US college admissions;
- product prioritization;
- how a service works;
- a business or administrative process.

Structure:
purpose → stages → key decision point → example → result.

Follow-ups:
- “What happens if…?”
- “Why is that step necessary?”
- “Can you give a concrete example?”

### Explain an abstract concept to a nonexpert

Examples:
inflation, opportunity cost, network effects, product-market fit, machine learning, sunk cost, cultural norms.

Prioritize listener comprehension over specialist vocabulary.

### Explain and defend an opinion

Structure:
position → main reason → evidence/example → strongest counterargument → response or qualification.

The listener should challenge one assumption.

### Product or business trade-off

Audience options:
friend, teammate, executive, or customer.

Structure:
decision → user/business context → alternatives → trade-off → recommendation.

### Audience transfer

Explain the same idea to two listeners with different:

- prior knowledge;
- status;
- terminology needs;
- expected detail;
- desired conclusion.

Keep the underlying concept stable.