To give some context, I've just passed my one-year anniversary of living in Japan. I work in a small team: 3 foreigners and 1 Japanese national. The Japanese staff member is the team leader. While the other team members speak very good Japanese, I am still learning (N3 level). We hold our team meetings in English, which I appreciate, but individually, the others converse in Japanese with the team leader. When I speak with the team leader in English, she often interjects while I am in the middle of making a point.
This has been happening for a while, and I am not sure what to make of it. At first, I did my best to ignore it, but each time it happens, it throws off my train of thought, and I end up wondering what point she’s trying to make.
I’ve spoken to the other team members about it, but they don’t really understand what I’m talking about. This made me think it might just be a 'me' issue. If it is, I’ll just have to suck it up. But in the slight chance that it’s not, I want to understand what the reason behind it might be. Is it a language issue? A cultural issue? Or something else?
Here are the last two examples:
Mon 7 Oct:
We were talking about being more efficient.
Me: I was thinking about the last project. When Event A happened…
TL: You know you forgot to log your data in the last project. (This was not related to Event A)
Me: …Um, yes, I remember. What I wanted to say was, I noticed that when Event A happened… (I finish my point).
Fri 4 Oct:
We were talking about an email I had sent her.
Me: I'm pretty sure I sent a copy to Person A. I checked on…
TL: But you didn’t talk to Person B before sending the email.
Me: Was I supposed to?
TL: You can do it in the future.
Generally, I don’t feel she dislikes me. I am the newest member, though, and I’m not sure if I should say something to her. Do the other team members not encounter this because they speak Japanese to her? Would these types of interruptions seem more natural if this conversation were happening in Japanese rather than English? I’d appreciate any insights, especially from those familiar with Japanese workplace dynamics.
TL;DR: Team Leader talks while I'm talking. Is this a language, cultural, or personality thing? Or am I just a sensitive little egg?
by Oi-oi-oi-boi