To me, communication is constituted by the difference between speaking and conversing, hearing and listening, seeing and watching. In each of these pairings of words, the first is a passive action, while the other is a communicative action. When someone is communicating something to an audience (whether that audience consists of one person or hundreds of people), they must have a clear focus and intent; they must know both what they want to communicate and how they want to communicate it.
As applied to Japanese language learning, there are a number of different concepts that make up communication. Obviously, clear, appropriately accented speech is necessary to be understood, but Japanese presents a set of challenges for English-speakers that are both difficult and exciting to overcome. To truly communicate in Japanese, one must be aware of the cultural subtleties that define the boundaries between plain, polite, and formal speech. The grammatical structure is such that English speakers must completely throw out their notion of grammar and word order, seeking not word-for-word translations between English and Japanese but instead translations that feel natural within both languages. I think this aspect of "absorbing" the nature of the Japanese language is one of the most rewarding and fascinating parts of studying Japanese - my main point being that only after one has truly absorbed the Japanese language in this way can one truly communicate in it.
All these concepts of communication certainly apply to the podcasting project. Having to put together an entire script that is professional and effective as well as natural and flowing is a major task in any foreign language. I think I will gain valuable Japanese language skills in the process of completing this project. I think as far as our specific project goes, I will be interested to see how Japanese food manifests itself in New York City, having some experience with similar dishes in Japan. I will be interested to hopefully talk to some of the people who work in the restaurants to get their perspective on Japanese culture and its existence - or portrayal - in America.