Yoshiko Mori

Yoshiko Mori is Professor and Director of the Japanese Language Program in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Georgetown University. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and an advanced certificate in Second Language Acquisition from the University of Illinois, an M.A. in Applied Linguistics from Ohio University, and B.A./A.A. degrees in English Studies from Nanzan University. With over 30 years of teaching experience in Japan and the US, she has taught college-level Japanese linguistics and high-school English.

Her research specializes in second-language psycholinguistics, focusing on: metacognitive awareness in language learning, cross-linguistic influences on kanji acquisition, heritage language development, and individual differences in learning strategies. Her work bridges theoretical psycholinguistics with practical pedagogical applications for Japanese instruction.

Mori's publications demonstrate consistent focus on Japanese writing systems and learner cognition. Her 2020-2022 works examine instructional perceptions and research literacy, while earlier publications systematically analyze kanji learning variables. Thematically, her articles cluster around: 1) cognitive processing of Japanese orthography, 2) socio-affective factors in heritage language maintenance, and 3) pedagogical implications of psycholinguistic research.

She holds significant leadership positions including current President of the American Association of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ), AP Japanese Chief Reader, and former Vice President of AATJ (2016-2017). She co-directed the AATJ Spring Conference during 2015-2016 and 2021-2022, and served as President/Co-president of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Teachers of Japanese (2020-2022).