In order to study language from a scientific perspective, the Department of Linguistics conducts descriptive, theoretical, positive, and applied research on both general linguistics and linguistics about one language. In addition to being able to conduct linguistic research on European languages like English, German, Germanic languages, French, Romantic languages, Russian, and Slavic languages, it is also possible to study the linguistics of Asian languages such as Korean and Ainu languages, and even study the linguistics of Japanese language. The Department of Linguistics takes many diverse approaches to the study of language. In addition to historical and social linguistics, it is possible to learn about a broad variety of linguistic phenomena, such as phonetics, phonology, forms, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.
Laboratory of Linguistics
Message from Laboratory
It is estimated that there are approximately 6,000 languages in the world. All the speaker groups have developed irreplaceable and unique linguistic cultures through their daily lives. With the history of linguistic research dating back thousands of years, quite a few methodologies have been proposed and practiced since the advent of modern linguistics in the 19th century. While modern linguistics covers vast areas that go well beyond the purview of individual researchers, it is also true that analyzing even a trivial phenomenon requires the perspective of general linguistics. Many Japanese universities separate their linguistic disciplines into different groups such as the department of Japanese and the department of English. Our laboratory of linguistics, however, has removed this type of compartmentalization and has been managed under mutual collaboration among teaching staff specializing in a variety of individual languages and methodologies necessary to pursue linguistics. The laboratory has a number of exchange students, creating an international atmosphere. We regularly host joint research workshops with the participation of undergraduate as well as graduate students, providing various occasions on which students and teaching staff can interact with each other.
Faculty List
- NOMURA Masuhiro Professor
Research Fields: English linguistics, cognitive linguistics, semantics - FUJITA Takeshi Professor
Research Fields: French Linguistics, Romance Linguistics, Generative Grammar - KATO Shigehiro Professor
Research Fields: General Linguistics, Japanese Linguistics, Linguistic Pragmatics - SATO Tomomi Professor
Research Fields: Linguistics, Ainu, Northern Languages - LEE Yeonju Professor
Research Fields: Korean Linguistics, Japanese Linguistics - TSUTA Kiyoyuki Associate Professor
Research Fields: Japanese Linguistics, Philology, Historical Linguistics - SUGAI Kenta Associate Professor
Research Fields: Russian Linguistics, Slavic Linguistics