In the Master’s Course, students learn the basic concepts and methods of linguistics based on their knowledge of their major language, write a master’s thesis on a specific area, and acquire research methods and thesis writing skills. The primary objective of the Doctoral Program is to prepare a doctoral dissertation in three years. Entrance examinations are conducted by submitting a research plan and an interview, and selection is based on the appropriateness and feasibility of the content of the plan.

Granted Degree

• Master’s Program: Masters (Linguistic)
• Doctoral Program: Doctor (Linguistic)

Available Teaching Licenses and Subjects

• Junior High School Specialized Teacher’s Certificate (English/ German/ French/ Spanish/ Russian/ Portuguese)
• High School Specialized Teacher’s Certificate (English/ German/ French/ Spanish/ Russian/ Portuguese)

*1 Teacher’s certificate is only available in the Master’s program. It is only available for subjects

In addition, only subjects for which a Type 1 license has already been obtained or for which the requirements for obtaining a Type 1 license have been met can be obtained. Not all subjects can be obtained.

*2 Except for the Speech-Language and Hearing Research Course and the Japanese Language Education Course. In addition, students can obtain a license for only one subject according to their major language.

The program offers a wide variety of courses, including the required courses “Founds of Phonetics& Phonology” and “Foundations of Syntax,” as well as courses in applied linguistics and sociolinguistics. We nurture researchers with a wide range of backgrounds.

In the doctoral program, students can take courses outside of their major field of study in order to deepen their knowledge of their major language and the system of their field of specialization, while at the same time developing observational and analytical skills that are not limited to a specific field of study.

Speech-Language and Hearing Research Course

The Speech-Language and Hearing Research Course aims to train leaders and researchers with a broad perspective and rich humanity through subjects ranging from basic theory to clinical practice (therapeutic education and rehabilitation) of communication disorders. By completing designated courses, students can obtain qualifications to sit for the national examination for Speech Language-Hearing-Therapists.

TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Course

This course is designed for current English teachers and those who wish to be involved in English education in the future, with the goal of developing more advanced practical skills based on theoretical knowledge of English teaching. All required credits can be earned in English.

Japanese Language Education Course

This course is designed for those who are interested in working in Japanese language education. Students will consider effective Japanese language education while conducting research on Japanese language acquisition. Students may also take other course subjects within the Graduate School. In addition, students can learn through practice as teaching assistants for Japanese language education on campus or as Japanese language instructors for international students. There are also opportunities to interact with students in Japanese language programs at overseas universities.

• Flashcard Format Strategies for Vocabulary Retention: Effects on Stuents’ Learning of Nouns and Verbs
• Comparing the Efficacy of Different Feedback Timings in a Focus-on-Form Lesson
• On the Status of Clause-Initial for in English Infinitival Clauses
• Native-speakerism and Authenticity: An Analysis of Japanese Approved Textbooks Aimed at Junior High School Students
• Investigating the effect of teacher and student translanguaging on the participation of Japanese EFL learners: Exploratory action-research of CLIL in Japan
• Using Shadowing with a Communicative Task: An Exploratory Study
• Raising Young Learners’ Metacognitive Awareness: Its Effects on Language Proficiency and Attitude Towards Learning English
• The Influence of Adapted and Unadapted Versions of Listening Materials on the Learner’s comprehension – the Case of Myanmar Students Learning English as a Foreign Language at Higher Education
• Examination of Authorized Junior High School Textbooks in Japan in Light of Second Language Acquisition Research
• Effects of One-on-one Online English Lessons on L2 Motivation in a Japanese Secondary School Context
• Effective of Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition through YouTube Stories – The Case of Myanmar Primary School Students Learning English as a Foreign Language
• A Study of Chunking in Kanji Writing – Comparison among Kanji and figures –
• A New Perspective on Articulatory Development – From the Perspective of the Mora Establishment Process
• Current status of communication using the Internet for people with aphasia and its support
• Topic Development in Conversations with People with Dementia
• Tone Tendencies in Conversation – A Comparison of Stutterers and Non-Stutterers
• On the dissimilarity of onomatopoeia for pain in different body parts
• How Chinese Learners of Japanese Understand the Meaning of “Yohodo” and “Yoppodo” – Based on Corpus Analysis and Questionnaire Survey
• A Study on Chinese JSL Learners’ Expressions of “Expressions of Dissatisfaction
• A Study of Gratitude Expression among Chinese Students in Japan: Focusing on the Use of Gratitude Strategies and Their Acceptance by Native Speakers.
• Factors Affecting Language Fluency Tasks in Aphasics – Differences in Noun and Verb Presentation, Psycholinguistic Factors
• The Bidirectionality of Pragmatic Transition in Chinese Learners of Japanese – Reinviting Behavior
• The Reason for Motivation and Classroom Environment in the Formation of Motivation to Communicate in Japanese – A Study by Students Majoring in Japanese at a University in China
• An interview study on cochlear implantation in persons with unilateral hearing loss – Focusing on the process leading to cochlear implantation and the effectiveness of cochlear implantation

• Functional Parametrization Hypothesis in the Minimalist Program
• Measuring Plagiarism Knowledge: Development and Validation of an In-class Assessment Tool for Japanese L2 Academics Writers
• The Effect of Explicit/Implicit Instruction on the Acquisition of Japanese Compound Verbs – Acquisition Process from a Usage-Based Approach