Graduate Schools
Foreign Languages
Program Overview
Chinese Language and Culture
Master's program
For economic and cultural exchanges, Japan and China have made remarkable progress in various fields. Specialists equipped with a correct understanding of this historical background, the knowledge of the Chinese language, and high-level proficiency in both Chinese and Japanese will beyond doubt be increasingly in demand from now on.
To date, more than 650 high schools have introduced "Chinese" as a school language subject. Therefore, providing an adequate number of teachers to respond to this expansion of demand will become an issue from now on.
With the development and re-education of specialists in Chinese language studies who can respond to the above needs of society set as its objectives, the Chinese Language and Culture master's program offered by the Graduate School of Foreign Languages has formed a curriculum accordingly.
Doctor's program
The Chinese Language and Culture Doctor's Program offered by the Graduate School of Foreign Languages aims to develop independent researchers of the Chinese language and culture and individuals engaged in high-level expertise-required jobs who can further deepen their expertise based on the results of the research projects conducted in the master's program.
English Studies
Master's program
With focus placed on three specializations, namely English Linguistics, English Language Education, and Language and Culture, the English Studies Master's Program offered by the Graduate School of Foreign Languages aims to allow students to study English as an international language, both theoretically and practically, and at the same time, to acquire practical English skills as well as high-level expert knowledge through courses for practicing communication such as interpreting and translation courses. In rapidly changing fields of specialization, academic disciplines are further subdivided and developed into diverse specialized areas. We are confident that the research and supervision structure of this program can fully respond to such trends. English Linguistics provides specialized studies such as English historical linguistics dealing with changes in English, cognitive semantics, and English corpus linguistics. English Language Education provides specialized studies such as teaching methods and language acquisition theory. Language and Culture provides specialized studies such as regional culture and thought studies. In addition, some common courses (elective courses open to students from all three divisions of the Foreign Language Graduate Program) are contrastive linguistics, sociolinguistics, and cross-cultural communication studies. In order to cope with globalization, the spread of information technology, and technology sophistication in society, and to meet the demand for developing and re-developing true language specialists, we are accepting students from various segments of society including international students.
Doctor's program
The curriculum for the English Studies Doctor's Program offered by the Graduate School of Foreign Languages is divided into three specializations: English Linguistics, English Language Education, and Language and Culture. English Studies mainly covers English historical linguistics dealing with changes in English, English cognitive semantics, and corpus linguistics using computers. English Language Education mainly covers the theory of teaching and learning English as a foreign language, and kyoiku bunpo ron (grammar reviewed from an educational perspective) for the development of communication skills, cross-cultural communication language and culture studies, and second language acquisition theory. Language and Culture mainly covers studies on relationships between language and regional culture and society. This doctor's program provides a complete lineup of education programs that can flexibly support regular students, working adults and international students. We are confident that it will contribute to the development of researchers who can conduct high-level, interdisciplinary and independent research as well as highly-sophisticated professionals who can be widely accepted in international society. Students who have completed the program are actively working as specialists in various fields including institutions of higher education such as technical colleges and universities.
Japanese Language and Culture
Master's program
According to the motto of Daito Bunka University "a fusion of Eastern and Western approaches," the Japanese Language and Culture Master's Program offered by the Graduate School of Foreign Languages inherits and develops the academic tradition of Daito Bunka University in the form of "comparison between Japan and China." In response to the demand in Asia and Europe and with the aim of establishing international and interdisciplinary Japanese studies, the program is composed of two "groups," namely the "Japanese Language and Culture Group" and the "Applied Japanese Language Studies Group."
Based on "Japanese-Chinese comparison," as international and interdisciplinary Japanese studies, the "Japanese Language and Culture Group" provides the following: (1) Japanese-Chinese literature based on Japanese literature, (2) Chinese-Japanese comparative literature based on Chinese literature, and (3) Comparative research on Japanese and Altaic languages based on Chinese studies. Also provided in addition to the above studies is "Comparative Language and Culture Studies among Europe, America, and Japan."
The "Applied Japanese Language Studies Group" aims to build a new system for education and research that progressively integrates together (4) Japanese studies and (5) Japanese language education and language policy theory.
Furthermore, 12 practicums related to the modern Japanese language, classical Japanese language, and ancient Chinese language and literature (kundoku-ho or how to read classical a Chinese text in Japanese, and the basics of Japanese-Chinese comparative studies) are arranged to allow international students to develop language skills and basic skills for Japanese language and culture studies.
Doctor's program
For the Japanese Language and Culture Doctor's Program offered by the Graduate School of Foreign Languages, in each of the two groups, "Japanese Language and Culture Group" and "Applied Japanese Language Studies Group," supervision is provided regarding doctor's theses through "omnibus-style" seminar courses, in which several teaching staff members provide research supervision.
To meet the demand from overseas, we prepared a research environment and educational system that form a common platform for international and interdisciplinary Japanese studies, and we allow students to conduct research activities independently.
As individuals shouldering future Japanese studies by bridging their mother countries and Japan, the doctor's program develops the following types of individuals: (1) researchers in Japanese studies who can actively work internationally and interdisciplinarily in Asia and Europe; (2) teachers in charge of Japanese studies to be sent to universities or institutions of higher education in Asia and Europe; (3) individuals to be engaged in highly-specialized jobs related to the Japanese language and culture, Japanese language, or Japanese language education; and (4) junior high or high school teachers of Japanese (possibly with sub-licenses) who can teach Japanese as an expert.