Barbara Pizziconi

Dr. Barbara Pizziconi is a Professor in the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics at SOAS University of London. Her academic career spans over two decades with a focus on Japanese linguistics, particularly linguistic (im)politeness, second language pragmatics, and intercultural communication. She holds a BA from La Sapienza University in Rome, an MA from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, and a PhD from the Oriental Institute in Naples.

Her research interests include Linguistic Im/politeness, Japanese Language and culture learning, and L2 Pragmatics. Dr. Pizziconi's work bridges theoretical linguistics with practical language education, examining how learners develop pragmatic competence in Japanese language acquisition, particularly during study abroad experiences. She has made significant contributions to understanding how cultural framing categories like 'Asia' and 'the West' influence language learners' intercultural positioning.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on discourse analysis, particularly examining how linguistic forms index social meaning. Her work spans both theoretical investigations of linguistic phenomena like social deixis and sentence-final particles in Japanese, as well as practical applications for language teaching and learning. She has notably explored how learners negotiate cultural stereotypes during study abroad and how intercultural mediation functions in language learning contexts.

Dr. Pizziconi has supervised numerous doctoral students working on diverse topics including Korean language pedagogy, Old Tibetan pragmatics, and cross-cultural communication. Her editorial work, including the 2015 volume 'Teaching and Learning (Im)politeness,' demonstrates her commitment to connecting theoretical politeness research with practical language pedagogy.