Variety norms, or the norms which determine the kind of language to be used is
another principal component of communication. One of the most significant rules
relating to variety or code in the contact situation concerns choice of language: English or
Japanese. In the majority of instances English is the only shared language of Australian
and Japanese business personnel, though the competence of the Japanese businessman in
English varies from high to minimal. In certain circumstances, a third party interpreter
or else a member of one of the networks, typically the Japanese side, assumes the role of
interpreter. Although recently there has been a small increase in the number of young
Australians temporarily resident in Japan who can competently conduct business
communication in Japanese, within the range of the data presented here, invariably the
base language is English, generally with or without interpretation.