Faculty MembersFaculty Members

Specialists in English

ALLEN, Todd James
ALLEN, Todd James
Associate Professor
Major

Sociopragmatics/ Intercultural Communication/ Academic Writing (English)

What kind of research do you do?

My current research focuses on four main areas: sociopragmatics (the relationship between language and society), intercultural communication education (how best to teach and research communication between cultures), study abroad (effective ways to facilitate education abroad) and academic writing development.

BARKE, Andrew
BARKE, Andrew
Professor
Major

Discourse Analysis (Identity Construction)/ Pragmatics/ Sociolinguistics

What kind of research do you do?

I examine how Japanese and English speakers use language in creative ways in their everyday lives to show politeness, build relationships, and construct their own and others' identities. I also consider ways in which learners of Japanese as a second language can improve their pragmatic competence (the ability to speak in a culturally appropriate way that seems natural to others).

HOFMEYR, Ana Sofia
HOFMEYR, Ana Sofia
Associate Professor
Major

Intercultural Competence/ English Language Education/ Global Issues Awareness

What kind of research do you do?

In recent years, communication with people from around the world has increased and intercultural understanding has become more and more important. For this reason, my research focuses on developing intercultural competence development and global issues awareness at universities.

HUMPHRIES, Simon
HUMPHRIES, Simon
Professor
Major

Foreign language education (methodology, curriculum innovation)/ Intercultural communication (factors influencing learners' capacity to speak)/ Business communication (international marketing, intercultural negotiation)

What kind of research do you do?

Our faculty has an interesting "dual language" study abroad programme where our English majors study in non-English speaking countries such as Taiwan, South Korea, Germany and France. I'm researching changes in students' capacity to speak in English and their additional language while overseas.

HUNT, Alan
HUNT, Alan
Professor
Major

Vocabulary Acquisition

What kind of research do you do?

I research how students aquire vocabulary knowledge and am especially interested in how extensive reading develops vocabulary and language fluency.

IKEDA, Maiko
IKEDA, Maiko
Professor
Major

Applied Linguistics (L2 Learning Strategies/EFL for Young Learners)

What kind of research do you do?

IMAI, Hiroyuki
IMAI, Hiroyuki
Professor
Major

Communication in Second Language Classrooms/ Assessment of Englsh Speaking Proficiency/ Second Language Teacher Professional Development

What kind of research do you do?

My research interest lies in communication in second language classrooms. Second language teachers put much effort into devising teaching materials, learning/teaching methods, and evaluation methods to create a better environment for second language learners. The effort they put in is manifested in the quality of communication in their classrooms. My research aims to deepen our understanding of communication that enables learners to learn a second language.

INOUE, Noriko
INOUE, Noriko
Professor
Major

English Poetry (especially, Middle English Alliterative Poetry)/ Metrics/Medieval Literature

What kind of research do you do?

My research interests are English poetry, metrics, and Medieval Literature. I am particularly interested in the Middle English alliterative poetry and their metrical forms. I am currently investigating the nature of their mere and the relationship between the alliterative poetry and the rhymed iambic poetry in the 14th century.

KATO, Masato
KATO, Masato
Professor
Major

Language Analysis/ Semantics (Philosophy of Language)

What kind of research do you do?

Working primarily in philosophy of language and semantics, such issues as the meanings of ESSE, mereological part and whole, and also individuality, truth, mind, relation, and existence.

KIKUCHI, Atsuko
KIKUCHI, Atsuko
Professor
Major

Linguistics/ Translation Studies

What kind of research do you do?

Language reflects the way people categorise and understand the world around them. I examine English and Japanese expressions used in translation to see similarities and differences between the way the two languages construe similar states of affairs.

LEE, Haruki
LEE, Haruki
Professor
Major

Narrative Theory/ Literary Translations

What kind of research do you do?

Through translations, we can read stories in different languages by different ethnic groups from different cultures. By bringing stories from abroad into Japanese society, we can enrich our culture and make it more diversified. For that purpose, I believe that translating stories into Japanese is an activity essential to all language learners.

LUCAS, Matt
LUCAS, Matt
Associate Professor
Major

Applied linguistics/ Second language acquisition/ English language eduction

What kind of research do you do?

My primary research interest is second language acquisition and, in particular, cross-linguistic influence. I am interested in the ways in which a learner's native tongue can be harnessed to bring about grammatical learning gains in a second language through explicit instruction, especially awareness-raising practices delivered via digital mediums.

MASUMOTO, Tomoko
MASUMOTO, Tomoko
Professor
Major

Intercultural Communication

What kind of research do you do?

We may speak another language but unless we understand the cultural contexts, and the unspoken part, we may miss what is most important. Communication and culture are inseparable. Today, when we are in contact with people across the globe, understanding the cultural assumptions, expectations and behavior (including our own) is crucial. Learning how to learn about this is what we will explore together.

MATSUNAGA, Kaoru
MATSUNAGA, Kaoru
Associate Professor
Major

TESOL/ International Education (Higher Education)/ Identity

What kind of research do you do?

When undertaking international education in English-speaking countries, what kind of institutional norms and academic conventions students are required to conform to? I'm researching into the ways in which international students negotiate such normative practices and how their practices are intertwined with their identities.

MIYAGUCHI, Takaaki
MIYAGUCHI, Takaaki
Professor
Major

International Cooperation/ Program Evaluation/ International Development

What kind of research do you do?

I am exploring how international cooperation and development activities can be evaluated, and should be evaluated, using the method of program evaluation. In this field, it is crucial to determine the criteria for evaluating the outcomes of these activities, and how to do so.

MIZUMOTO, Atsushi
MIZUMOTO, Atsushi
Professor
Major

Corpus Linguistics/ Language Testing and Assessment/ Vocabulary Learning and Teaching

What kind of research do you do?

My current research interests include vocabulary learning and teaching, language testing and assessment, and corpus use for educational purposes. I am also interested in research methodology, in particular quantitative data analysis using statistics.

MORISAKI, Seiichi
MORISAKI, Seiichi
Professor
Major

Intercultural Communication Studies/ Cross-cultural Communication Studies

What kind of research do you do?

In recent years, opportunities to communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds have been rapidly increasing. "Intercultural Communication" which I majored in is a study to clarify various sorts of problems arising from communication among different cultural bodies and to pursue the causes and solutions of these problems.

NABEI, Toshiyo
NABEI, Toshiyo
Professor
Major

English Language Teaching and Learning/ Second Language Acquisition

What kind of research do you do?

Classroom interaction, including corrective feedback, has great potential to facilitate second language acquisition. I am interested in exploring effective teaching and learning methods and techniques to facilitate students' English language learning.

RAMONDA, Kris
RAMONDA, Kris
Professor
Major

Applied Linguistics (Metaphor/Vocabulary Acquisition)/ Academic Writing

What kind of research do you do?

My primary research interest is second language vocabulary acquisition, and in particular the learning and teaching of metaphorical or abstract words and expressions. In this area, I investigate ways to make vocabulary learning more efficient, memorable, and enjoyable through input and output practice based in cognitive linguistics principles.

SAKAMOTO, Akiko
SAKAMOTO, Akiko
Professor
Major

Translation Studies/ Translation Technologies/ Sociology of Translation

What kind of research do you do?

My research concerns the influence of translation technologies (such as machine translation) on translators' workflow and their professional motivation and status. The ultimate purpose of my research is to propose an optimum form of human-machine symbiosis in the technologized translation work environment.

SHINTANI, Natsuko
SHINTANI, Natsuko
Professor
Major

Applied Linguistics/ Second Language Acquisition/ TESOL

What kind of research do you do?

My research interests encompass the roles of explicit instruction in language learning, second language writing, and task-based language teaching. Her recent research project aims at developing testing and teaching materials for second language pragmatic knowledge.

TAKAHASHI, Kinuko
TAKAHASHI, Kinuko
Professor
Major

Applied Lingusitics (Interpreting and Translation Studies)/ Sociolinguistics

What kind of research do you do?

Some say that human interpreters will no longer be needed in the future due to the development of AI technology. In order to investigate this idea, I am conducting interviews with business interpreters, users of business interpreters, and salesclerks who deal with foreign tourists to explore what interpreting actually is.

TAKEUCHI, Osamu
TAKEUCHI, Osamu
Professor
Major

Applied Linguistics (L2 Learning Strategy, L2 Motivation, Self-regulated Learning)/ English Language Teaching (Teaching Methodology, Materials Development)/ Educational Technology (Use of Digital Media and AI in L2 Learning and Teaching)

What kind of research do you do?

What methods do successful foreign language learners use to learn a foreign language? Do they lose their motivation in the process? Do you have to study abroad to learn a foreign language, or does digital media make it easier to learn a foreign language? These are some of the questions that I enjoy exploring.

TAJIMA, Noriaki
TAJIMA, Noriaki
Professor
Major

Intercultural communication/ Communication studies/ Rhetoric

What kind of research do you do?

As a critical/cultural scholar of communication, I am interested in the possibilities of speaking across culture. Also, I am interested in scholarly investigations of debate and public speaking education. I am looking forward to discussing these topics with you soon!

TAJIRI, Goro
TAJIRI, Goro
Professor
Major

Practical English Teaching Methodology

What kind of research do you do?

I am researching learning methods that enable students to acquire the four skills, and through my classes, I provide students with training that enables them to simultaneously acquire the ability to pass university entrance examinations and to communicate in English. I also analyze the students' achievement levels and make improvements to my teaching methods.

TAMURA, Yu
TAMURA, Yu
Associate Professor
Major

Applied Linguistics/ Psycholinguistics/ Second Language Acquisition

What kind of research do you do?

I use experimental methods to study what is happening in the mind when people acquire or process a second language. I am particularly interested in the acquisition and processing of morphosyntactic structures and am investigating the causes and difficulties associated with these processes.

TSUNEMOTO, Aki
TSUNEMOTO, Aki
Assistant professor
Major

English Language Education (speaking, listening)/ Applied Linguistics (English)

What kind of research do you do?

I am interested in the assessment and teaching of speaking and listening skills in foreign languages. I investigate factors relevant to speech assessment, such as teachers' beliefs and experiences about pronuncaition instruction and speakers' use of gestures. I also explore methods for teaching comprehensible pronunciation.

UEKI, Michiko
UEKI, Michiko
Associate Professor
Major

English Language Education/ English Language Teaching/ Individual Learner Factors

What kind of research do you do?

My research interest lies primarily in the area of the relationship between language learner factors (motivation, anxiety, aptitude, attitude, etc.) and language learning. Most of my research focus on how to elicit the positive aspects of learner factors and lead to more effective language learning.

WADA, Yoko
WADA, Yoko
Professor
Major

Area Studies in Language and Culture (UK & USA)/ Medieval English Language and Literature/ Medieval European Manuscripts

What kind of research do you do?

I am conducting research on 13th- and 14th-century multilingual manuscripts from the British Isles written in Latin, Middle English, Old French and the Celtic vernaculars, with special reference to their historical context.

YAMASHITA, Taichi
YAMASHITA, Taichi
Assistant Professor
Major

English Language Teaching/ Applied Linguistics

What kind of research do you do?

My research interests include language testing and computer-assisted language learning. I am also interested in research metholodogy.

YAMATO, Kazuhito
YAMATO, Kazuhito
Professor
Major

English Language Education (pronunciation teaching and learning)/ Applied Linguistics

What kind of research do you do?

His research interests include teaching and learning English pronunciation, development of system for teaching prosody.

Specialists in Asian languages

Chinese

GEN, Yukiko
GEN, Yukiko
Professor
Major

History of Chinese Language

What kind of research do you do?

My topic for research is a diachronic analysis of colloquial Chinese. In recent years I have researched and presented papers on the primary historical resources of colloquial Chinese held in the archives of Dunhuang, Hangzhou, Beijing, Tianjin, etc. I have also conducted a diachronic study of colloquial expressions appearing in the textbooks of Chinese conversation that were used between the Koryo Dynasty and the Joseon Dynasty in Korea.

GUO, Yang
GUO, Yang
Associate Professor
Major

Theoretical Linguistics (Chinese)/ Linguistics of Chinese/Chinese language pedagogy

What kind of research do you do?

I focus on modern Chinese grammar, and study the formation mechanism of the unique syntax and phenomena in Chinese. Especially devoted to the analysis of the attributes and grammatical structures of vocabulary. Moreover, I also dabbled in Chinese teaching method, theoretical comparison with other languages and other fields.

JIN, Jia
JIN, Jia
Associate Professor
Major

Applied Linguistics (Second Language Acquisition)/ Teaching Chinese or Japanese as a Foreign Language/ Phonetics

What kind of research do you do?

Have you ever wondered why pronunciation is so hard to get right? I aim to solve such problems by conducting research on the acquisition of Chinese and Japanese phonetics and phonology, as well as contrastive research from the perspective of second language acquisition theory.

KOJIMA,Miyuki
KOJIMA,Miyuki
Professor
Major

Chinese Linguistics 

What kind of research do you do?

Contrastive Analysis of Chinese and other languages

OKUMURA, Kayoko
OKUMURA, Kayoko
Professor
Major

Chinese linguistics/ East-West language contact/ Cultural interaction

What kind of research do you do?

I study how modern Orientals and Westerners came into contact with and learned Chinese. Due to the difference of their mother tongue and geographical relationship, their learning of Chinese is different, I try to consider the essence of Chinese through the eyes of foreigners.

YAMAZAKI, Naoki
YAMAZAKI, Naoki
Professor
Major

Instructional design for Chinese Language teaching/ Inclusive design for language teaching/ Third language learning

What kind of research do you do?

I am contemplating how to make classes for learning Chinese more engaging. Recently, I have also been researching multilingual landscapes, hoping for Japan to become a society more accommodating to multiple languages. The theme of my seminar is linguistic landscape, information accessibility, and language rights.

Korean

KO, Myung Gyun
KO, Myung Gyun
Professor
Major

Korean Linguistics/ Lexical semantics

What kind of research do you do?

I am interested in lexical semantics. And I search an effective vocabulary teaching method for a Korean learner. Furthermore, I am engaged in the concentrated study for modern Korean books and materials of the 17th century..

MATSUOKA, Yuta
MATSUOKA, Yuta
Professor
Major

Korean Linguistics/ Discriptive Linguistics (Verbal Morphology)

What kind of research do you do?

My research interest is to describe the grammar in East Asian languages such as Korean, Mongolian, and Manchu, especially the forms related to verbs. In recent years, I have been particularly interested in those grammatical changes as well.

Japanese

ANAN, Nobuko
ANAN, Nobuko
Professor
Major

Japansese Cultural Studies/ Theatre and Performance Studies/ Gender and Sexuality Studies

What kind of research do you do?

My main research interests are modern and contemporary Japanese theatre/performance and visual arts from the perspectives of gender/sexuality studies.

IZAWA, Sayaka
IZAWA, Sayaka
Associate Professor
Major

Japanese Pedagogy/ Japanese Language Education in the Community/ Japanese Language Education for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children

What kind of research do you do?

I research the following two themes.(1)Designing a support system for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children in the Community.(2) Construction of a reference frame for multilingual language proficiency for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children.

SHIMAZU, Momoyo
SHIMAZU, Momoyo
Professor
Major

Japanese Pedagogy/ Discourse Analysis (Narrative)

What kind of research do you do?

My specialties are Japanese language education for foreigners and teacher education. I have been working on an analysis of interviews and narratives of Japanese language teachers, student-teachers and learners. Based on the findings of my research, I aim to create better educational practices and curriculums for teacher education.

TAKANASHI, Shino
TAKANASHI, Shino
Professor
Major

Japanese Pedagogy/ Japanese Linguistics (Modern Japanese Grammar)

What kind of research do you do?

My recent research is on grammatical problems observed in Japanese of advanced learners. I also have been studying modality of Japanese based on investigations using corpuses and questionnaires.

Specialists in European languages

German

KASHIWAGI, Kikuko
KASHIWAGI, Kikuko
Professor
Major

Modern German Literature/ German Culture

What kind of research do you do?

My research interests are in modern German literature and German culture in a European context, with a particular emphasis on the relationship of narrative and ethnological phenomena, how cultural issues such as customs, religious practices, alimentary habits are described and represented in literary works.

TAKAHASHI, Hideaki
TAKAHASHI, Hideaki
Professor
Major

Sociolinguistics/ Language Policy/ German linguistics

What kind of research do you do?

My research area is Sociolinguistics (multilingualism and plurilingualism in Europe from a language policy perspective). I am doing research on the ongoing paradigm shift in language policy and foreign language education due to digitalization.

French

HIRASHIMA, Rika
HIRASHIMA, Rika
Professor
Major

French Language Teaching (Grammar Teaching)/ Practices in French Language Teaching

What kind of research do you do?

I specialize in the Grammar Teaching of the French tense system. I believe that it is important to apply linguistic knowledge to language teaching, for example, in the analysis of errors, and the analysis and elaboration of teaching materials.

TAJIMA, Yoshihito
TAJIMA, Yoshihito
Professor
Major

French cultural studies/ French literature

What kind of research do you do?

I mainly research the following three themes:
1. French cultural studies (from the 19th century to the present day);
2. Use of colours in art, specifically in the 19th century French poetry;
3. Education using group work (French language and cultural studies).

Russian

KONDO, Masao
KONDO, Masao
Professor
Major

Russian Literature

What kind of research do you do?

My academic interest lies in the study of 19th century Russian literature, especially the works by Chekhov. In education I have been trying to integrate my research findings into Russian language education in order to make my classes more interesting to the students.

ODAGIRI, Nami
ODAGIRI, Nami
Associate Professor
Major

Russian Language Education/ Area Studies (Central Asia)/ Sociolinguistics

What kind of research do you do?

I am exploring the language situations in the former Soviet region, with a specific focus on Kyrgyzstan. I am particularly interested in the phenomenon of code-switching between Russian and Kyrgyz languages.

Spanish

SHIOTA, Sayaka
SHIOTA, Sayaka
Associate Professor
Major

Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language/ Spanish Cultural Studies

What kind of research do you do?

I try to guide students towards positive, independent Spanish language learning through problem-solving tasks. I also reseach Living in Spain, mainly food culture and tourism.

TSUZUMI, Shu
TSUZUMI, Shu
Professor
Major

Spanish Language Literature

What kind of research do you do?

My research objective is to study the process by which avant-garde literature comes into and takes root in Spanish-speaking countries. I am particularly interested in the contact point of Latin-American literature and Spanish literature in the beginning of the twentieth century.

Visiting Professor

KISHIDA, Yoshiki
KISHIDA, Yoshiki
Affiliation

Director, International Bureau, Jiji Press

Specially Appointed Foreign Language Lecturers

NameEmail Address
ANDRZEJEWSKI, Daniel
BAILEY, Benjamin
BAUMGARTNER, Matthew
BELARGA, Oliver
CHU, Peter
CORNELIUS, Simon
HAUGH, Samuel
HEYWOOD, David
HOLTHOUSE, John
HOSSEININASAB, Seyedeh Zahra
HUANG, Jerry
KINOSHITA, Catherine
LAZIC, Dragana
PORRAS, Jose
SCHWAB, Matthew

Full-Time Foreign Language Lecturers

NameEmail Address
WILSON, Yoko
TAKEDA, Rika
TAKENAKA, Kana
HOSOKAWA, Mana
POPOVA, Ekaterina
MIZOKAMI, Eri
YAMANAKA, Yuka
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