Hanako Fujino

Dr Hanako Fujino is a Senior Lecturer in Japanese Language and Linguistics at Oxford Brookes University, affiliated with the School of Education, Humanities and Languages. She serves as the Subject Coordinator for Japanese Studies and teaches undergraduate modules including Japanese grammar, translation, and advanced communication.

Her educational background includes a BA in Hispanic Studies and an MA in Theoretical Linguistics from Sophia University, Tokyo, followed by a PhD in Applied Linguistics from Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Her research evolved from first language acquisition in Spanish to second language learning of Japanese.

Her research focuses on Japanese language pedagogy, particularly grammar perception among non-native learners, pragmatic awareness in beginner instruction, and intercultural competence development through study abroad. She integrates technology in language teaching, as seen in her work with Moodle-based listening assessments.

Her recent publications highlight innovations in teaching materials and learner cognition in Japanese as a foreign language, primarily published in journals such as BATJ Journal and The Language Learning Journal, with a strong emphasis on practical classroom applications.

• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2017)
• Member of British Association of Applied Linguistics (BAAL)
• Member of British Association of Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language (BATJ)
• Member of Association of Japanese Language Teachers in Europe (AJE)
• External Examiner, University of Portsmouth (2017–)

Dr Fujino has supervised curriculum development and contributed to pedagogical innovation in Japanese language education. She has organized key academic events such as the Brookes Learning and Teaching Conference and several Japan Foundation-hosted symposia in Spain. No specific grants are mentioned, but her leadership in curriculum and conference organization reflects significant academic engagement.

She is associated with the Europe Japan Research Centre and the Applied Linguistics and Language in Education research group, contributing to both institutional and international scholarly networks in language education.