Professor Chihiro Thomson

My Expertise

Japanese as community language (Japanese as a heritage language), Japanese language education, Japanese applied linguistics, second language acquisition of Japanese, learner autonomy in language learning, gender issues in Japanese, gender issues in Japanese society, curriculum development

Keywords

japanese heritage speakers

japanese language education

applied linguistics

Fields of Research (FoR)

Japanese language, Language studies, Applied linguistics and educational linguistics

SEO tags

Learner and Learning Processes

Communication Across Languages and Culture

Biography

Chihiro Thomson is a Professor of Japanese Studies in the School of Humanities and Languages. She is a graduate of Gakushuin University, Japan, and she received M.Ed and Ed.D from Arizona State University in the US. She then lectured at the National University of Singapore.

She joined UNSW in 1993, where she teaches Japanese language and supervises postgraduate students in applied linguistics, pedagogy, and Japanese language education. She has...view more

She joined UNSW in 1993, where she teaches Japanese language and supervises postgraduate students in applied linguistics, pedagogy, and Japanese language education. She has served as the Head of Department of Japanese Studies (1999-2002), then the Head of School of Modern Language Studies (2003-2005). She also served as the President of Japanese Studies Association of Australia (2009-2011), and as the Australian Representative of the Global Network of Japanese Language Education (2004-2017).

Her research interests are in issues related to learners and learning of foreign and community language, Japanese in particular. She studies Australian learners of Japanese, including those of Japanese heritage, their characteristics, their language acquisition processes, their learning environments, as well as how we can best support their learning. Themes of her research range from learner agency and learner autonomy to Communities of Practice, and commodification and consumption of language learning.

My Qualifications

B.A. Gakushuin University, Tokyo

M.Ed. Arizona State University, USA

Ed.D. Arizona State University, USA

My Awards

2020 Outstanding Achievement Award of the Society for Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language, Japan 日本語教育学会学会賞

2018 Postgraduate Research Supervision Award 2018 from Arc Postgraduate Council, UNSW Student Life and Dean of Graduate Research School of UNSW, Sydney.

2017 Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence in the Category of Research Supervision 2017 from UNSW, Sydney.($7,000)

2017 Postgraduate Research Supervision Award 2017 from Arc Postgraduate Council, UNSW Student Life and Dean of Graduate Research School of UNSW, Sydney.

2016 Supervisor Award from Arc Postgraduate Council, UNSW Student Life and Dean of Graduate Research School of the University of New South Wales.

2016 Scientia Education Fellowship 2016-2020 in recognition of outstanding contributions to education at UNSW from the UNSW Scientia Education Academy.

2016 Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation on the occasion of the 40^thanniversary of the signing of the Basic Treatyof Friendship and Cooperation between Japan and Australia, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Japanese Government外務大臣表彰

2015 Dean’s Award for Best HDR Supervision from the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, UNSW.

2014 Dean’s Learning and Teaching Award for Outstanding Leadership in Higher Degree Supervision from the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, UNSW. ($3,500)

2014 Excellence in Postgraduate Research Supervision Award 2014 from Arc Postgraduate Council, UNSW Student Life and Dean of Graduate Research School of the University of New South Wales.

2013 Outstanding Excellence in Postgraduate Research Supervision Award 2013 from Arc Postgraduate Council, UNSW Student Life and Dean of Graduate Research School of the University of New South Wales.

2012 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence 2012. Thomson as a team leader of the UNSW Japanese Studies Team.

2012 Excellence in Postgraduate Research Supervision Award 2012 from Arc Postgraduate Council, UNSW Student Life and Dean of Graduate Research School of the University of New South Wales.

2012 Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning, 2012 Australian Awards for University Teaching by Office of Learning and Teaching of the Australian Federal Government. Thomson as the team leader of UNSW Japanese Studies Team: For creating and sustaining a community of practice of leaners and speakers of Japanese that enhances the learning of Japanese language and promotes learner agency.

2010 Dean’s Award for Best SOTL Publication for New Pedagogies for Learner Agency: Japanese Language Education Research and Practice in Australia from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, UNSW. ($3,500)

2009 Sir Niel Currie Australian Studies Award for New Pedagogies for Learner Agency: Japanese Language Education Research and Practice in Australia from the Australia-Japan Foundation. ($10,000)

2007 Consul General’s Award for outstanding contribution to promotion of Japanese language research and teaching in Australia from the Consul General of Japan, Sydney. シドニー総領事表彰

My Research Activities

Leader of the Australian Network for Japanese as Community Language (JCL), engaged in an Australia-wide project on learners of JCL.

My Research Supervision

Supervision keywords

japanese language education

Areas of supervision

Various areas related to Japanese language education, second language acquisition of Japanese, speakers of Japanese as heritage and community language

Currently supervising

Language policies in Australia in relation to Japanese;
Life Stories of teachers of Japanese in Australian schools

My Engagement

Australian Network for Japanese as Community Language (President 2021-)
Japanese Speech Contest Australian National Final Steering Committee (NSW Representative 2019- )
NSW Japanese Speech Contest Steering Committee (Chair 2019-)
Society for Teachers of Japanese as a Foreign Language
Japanese Studies Association of Australia (President 2009-2011)
Japanese Language Proficiency Test Administration Committee (NSW Chair 1995-)

Editorial Board Member:
Japan Journal of Multilingualism and Multiculturalism, a journal of JALT
Japanese Studies, a journal of Japanese Studies Association of Australia

My Teaching

Chihiro Thomson teaches mainly in two areas. First, she teaches undergraduate Japanese Communication courses, Introductory Japanese A/B (ARTS1630/1631) Second, she teaches the final year Capstone course for the Japanese studies majors (ARTS3636). She also supervises postgraduate students in areas of applied and educational linguistics and second language acquisition of Japanese. Topics includes Corrective feedback and private speech in Japanese classrooms; Second language acquisition of Japanese by speakers of Chinese; Sociocultural understanding of learning of Japanese as a foreign language; Readers' voices in assessment of Japanese essays; Issues on Communities of Practice; Motivation of learners of Japanese; language policies.

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