Research Interests
- Japanese sociolinguistics
- Applied linguistics
- Second language acquisition
- Language ideologies
- Japanese dialects and speech styles
- Japanese honorifics and linguistic politeness
- Japanese as a foreign language
- Foreign language pedagogy
Dr. Takeuchi conducts research in Japanese sociolinguistics and applied linguistics, second language acquisition, and foreign language pedagogy. Her research focuses on the experiences of Japanese second language speakers who are long-term residents of Japan. She is particularly interested in how they navigate Japanese speech styles, such as dialects and keigo, which they encounter in local communities, workplaces, and leisure activities.
My areas of specialization are Japanese sociolinguistics, second language acquisition, and foreign language pedagogy. My research focuses on the experiences of Japanese second language speakers in Japan. I am particularly interested in how they navigate Japanese speech styles, including dialects and keigo, and my research projects examine language choices people make in local communities, workplaces, and leisure activities. I examine language use and beliefs about language using qualitative methods, including microanalysis of interaction and ethnographic interviews. My recent projects focus on linguistic practices of marginalization and resistance.
My research is situated at the intersection of sociolinguistics and second language acquisition and I use qualitative research methods, including ethnographic interviewing, on-site observations, and recordings of naturally-occurring conversation, to examine L2 speakers’ beliefs and perceptions about Japanese speech styles such as regional dialects and honorifics (keigo). I have ongoing projects focusing on L2 speaker legitimacy and native speaker bias.
My research projects are guided by the following questions: why do L2-Japanese speakers make the linguistic choices that they do? What kinds of Japanese speech styles do they incorporate into their Japanese linguistic repertoire? When and how do L2 speakers feel ownership over their L2? How do speaker legitimacy and language ownership intersect with speech style variation?
Ongoing and Completed Projects:
- Code-switching Project
- Keigo Project
- L2 Speaker Legitimacy Project
- L2 Speakers & Japanese Dialect Project
