Makiko Fukuda

Makiko Fukuda is a Teaching Professor and Japanese Program Coordinator in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at the University of Texas at San Antonio's College of Liberal and Fine Arts. She also serves as Assistant Dean for Faculty Success and maintains a part-time instructional role at the San Antonio Language Academy.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics, Purdue University (2009)
• M.A. in Japanese Pedagogy and Graduate Certificate in ESL, Purdue University (2006)
• B.A. in Communication, Hokusei Gakuen University, Japan (2000)

Her research focuses on second/first language acquisition, intercultural competence development, and innovative language pedagogy methods. She specializes in using Japanese films and anime as cultural teaching tools to develop students' global competency. Her work examines speech development patterns in adult learners, study abroad effectiveness, and diversity-aware curriculum design.

Fukuda's publications consistently explore intercultural education through multimedia, with recent works examining anime pedagogy, cultural values evolution, and self-guided learning frameworks. Her research bridges applied linguistics, cultural studies, and educational innovation.

Awards:

• 2023 American Association of Teachers of Japanese Outstanding Teacher Award
• 2019 Texas Foreign Language Association Teacher of the Year Award

She collaborates with Korean and Chinese faculty to co-teach interdisciplinary courses including East Asian Colloquium, East Asian Pop Culture, and East Asian Films. As former president of both the Japanese Teachers Association of Texas (2018) and Japan America Society of San Antonio (2014), she maintains significant professional leadership roles.