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Graduate

Foreign Languages

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Introduction to the Graduate Research Program

The Foreign Language Graduate Research Program was established in 1999 with MA programs in Chinese, English and Japanese. PhD programs were subsequently added in 2005 (English), 2007 (Japanese) and 2011 (Chinese).

By offering high quality language instruction as well as guided research in culture, these programs aim to produce specialists with highly developed language and cultural skills. Many of our graduates later pursue teaching careers ranging from junior high school through to university.

Introduction to the Specialized Programs

Chinese Language and Culture [ MA / PhD ]

Studying Chinese language and literature and developing Chinese language skills.

English Studies [ MA / PhD Program ]

English Studies offers three different specializations: (1) English Linguistics, (2) English Language Education, and (3) Language and Culture.

Topics taught are diverse, ranging from corpus linguistics to studies in the history of English to questions of teaching English as a foreign language. In addition, the Language and Culture Course offers supervision in areas such as American and British literature and also allows students to conduct comparative studies in other areas of culture.

The English Studies Master of Arts (MA) program is a two-year program for students who wish to study a particular field in English language or culture, acquire a general theoretical background for understanding past and future experiences, or develop skills for professional work in language or culture.

The English Studies Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program is an intensive three-year program for students who wish to delve deeper into a particular field in English language or culture, acquire a more sophisticated theoretical understanding, or develop advanced skills for professional work in language or culture.


English Linguistics Course (英語学専攻)

MA Program
Our two-year MA program in English linguistics offers a research-based comprehensive understanding of corpus linguistics, English semantics, English historical linguistics and English phonology.

The MA course in English corpus linguistics introduces some of the publicly-available corpora for English research (e.g. the Brown/LOB clones; Helsinki; ICE; BNC; COCA); some methods of creating specialized corpora from Internet sources (Web as Corpus); and explores different ways of using corpus data for token retrieval and description (wordlists; concordances; collocation measures).

The MA course in semantics is a graduate-level introduction to linguistic-semantic theories and some closely related areas, including logic, semiotics, philosophical semantics and cognitive sciences. It is designed to prepare students for serious research in linguistic semantics, with special emphasis on its application to English and some other natural languages.

The MA course in English historical linguistics provides students with a solid grounding for understanding the origin of the English language and how it developed into present-day English. This course covers various aspects of linguistic changes that English has undergone such as morphological, lexical, syntactic, and semantic changes.

The MA program in phonetics and phonology is designed to familiarize students with a broad range of topics in phonetics and phonology and to help them to deepen their knowledge in the field. Our program provides a strong background in data analysis by using auditory and instrumental techniques.


PhD Program
The PhD program in English linguistics is intended to further develop skills and comprehensive understanding in specialized studies: English Historical Linguistics, English Semantics, and English Corpus Linguistics.

The English historical linguistics course should appeal to students interested in synchronic and diachronic studies from Old to Modern English in the fields of morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. The course is intended to provide students with advanced knowledge of English historical linguistics theories such as grammaticalization, historical pragmatics, and Old and Middle English meters, as well as methods of utilizing existing corpora and building corpora for original research at a higher level.

The PhD course in semantics is intended to provide students with advanced knowledge of semantic theories and methodologies (in particular those of cognitive semantics), as well as foundations of qualitative mathematics, useful especially for inquiry in semantics and linguistics. By revealing the process of theorisation, through examination of topics involving categorisation, naming, colour terminology, language and thought, and so forth, it aims to help students conduct their own research in various areas of semantics.

The PhD course in English corpus linguistics is intended to support students conducting corpus-based studies of variation and change in English, guiding them through the steps of: either building corpora, or choosing appropriate data from existing corpora; identifying and extracting relevant examples (e.g. using AntConc or KWIC); classifying examples (through sorting and coding concordances); and interpreting the findings (noting that observed variation in language use has many possible causes, needing careful evaluation).



English Education Course (英語教育専攻)

MA Program
The English language education MA specialization courses is a two-year program emphasizing fundamentals of theory, practice and research in second language acquisition. These courses are designed for individuals who want to teach or research English as a second or foreign language.

Recent research students have focused on topics related to pronunciation, language testing and instruction. Recent research topics include the effects of instruction on pronunciation, the implementation of ongoing assessment in language programs, and reliability and validity studies with large scale standardized tests.


PhD Program
The English language education PhD specialization courses is a three-year program emphasizing a deeper look at theory, practice and research in second language acquisition. This course is designed for individuals who want to teach or research English as a second or foreign language.


Language and Culture Course (言語文化専攻)

MA Program
Using English as their primary language of instruction, four full time staff members and various adjunct professors currently teach in this course. Considering the fact that these professors come from America, France, Germany, Japan and the U.K., we are proud to offer an exceptionally internationally minded course, with many native speakers and multilingual staff members. Over the years, students have come from Canada, China, Finland, India, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia and Vietnam and we are always seeking to increase the diversity of the students in our program.

As the name of our course indicates, we try to accommodate graduates whose interests go beyond linguistics and English as a foreign language. Often, students in the Language and Culture Course take a comparative approach. While many theses have been dealing with literary topics from contemporary manga to Henry James, sometimes, topics go beyond “culture” and reach out into areas such as the cultural context of language, history or issues in (language) policy and politics.

Recent research students have focused on topics related to pronunciation, language testing and instruction. Recent research topics include the effects of instruction on pronunciation, the implementation of ongoing assessment in language programs, and reliability and validity studies with large scale standardized tests.


PhD Program
Two full time staff members currently teach in this course and supervision is done entirely in English. Like in the MA program, we aim at creating an international atmosphere. Both advisors are English native speakers but are also fluent in Japanese and speak or read other European languages as well. Over the years, students have come from China, Finland, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia and Vietnam.

Japanese Language and Culture [ MA / PhD Program ]

The Japanese Language and Culture Research Program focus on the study of the Japan and the Japanese language. This includes the study of Japanese language for education, Japanese studies in Asia and Europe that are widely related to the language and culture of Japan, and comparative research on Japan and China with a wide perspective, including East Asian languages and cultures.

Admissions

Each year we accept a limited number of regular students and some kenkyusei (non-degree research students) to keep the size of the program small, ensuring close student-faculty interaction.

The Foreign Language Graduate Program is open to students just coming out of undergraduate study and also to older, non-traditional students. Likewise, we welcome non-Japanese students with bachelor degrees who possess the ability and will to study. Below is a list of the different entry methods to our program. Entrance procedures occur twice a year: typically in October and February. Please check with the Graduate School Office for exact dates.

Individuals who are currently teaching at an accredited school may apply for a special, accelerated program that allows them to finish all their classwork within one academic year (instead of within two years).

It is strongly recommended that prospective students contact their desired advisor before submitting their application.

English Studies Curriculum

When applying for one of the three courses in the English Studies MA or PhD Program, students must choose an academic advisor who will also chair their MA thesis or PhD dissertation committee.
In the MA program, students are required to complete thirty two credits. There are three compulsory classes with the student's academic advisor, including thesis/dissertation supervision. In addition, students must complete eight credits from jiyukamoku (elective classes open only to students in the English Studies Research Program) and eight from kyoutsu kamoku (elective classes open to students from all three divisions of the Foreign Language Graduate Program).

In the PhD program, students must complete sixteen credits and take two compulsory classes with their advisor. Twice a year, all MA (and PhD) students come together for an internal conference, where all students have to present their latest findings at least once a year, thus getting feedback not only from their own advisers, but also from other staff members and their peers.
Classes are taught using both English and Japanese as mediums of instruction and students proficient in both languages will be able to take greatest advantage of the classes available. It may be possible to complete all class work in English by special arrangement with your academic advisor.

English Studies Diploma Policy

The English Studies MA or PhD diploma is awarded to students who have completed the required number of class credits for their research program and have successfully defended their thesis or dissertation. Graduating students are expected to display: (1) the ability to apply theoretical knowledge of their field to solve practical problems; and (2) the ability to choose a relevant research topic, research it, and present the findings in a clear, logical fashion; or the ability to work in a high-level profession related to their field of study.

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