Research Team

About the Tohoku SLA Team

Tohoku SLA Team

Our research group focuses on second language acquisition (SLA) and bilingualism. Using a range of data-collection and analysis tools—including eye-tracking and functional MRI (fMRI)—we conduct joint research among faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students in the Graduate School of International Cultural Studies at Tohoku University. We regularly host events featuring internationally well-known scholars in SLA, bilingualism, and linguistics, providing opportunities to learn about state-of-the-art research. (For past and upcoming events, see the Research Center for Language, Brain, and Cognition.) *(Description adapted from the website of Takumi Uchihara.)*

Faculty Collaborators (Tohoku SLA Team)

Hyeonjeong Jeong, Professor — Website
Mariko Nakayama, Professor — Website
Takumi Uchihara, Associate Professor — Website
Aki Tsunemoto, Associate Professor — Website
Ryuya Komuro, Postdoctoral Researcher — Website

Student Collaborators

Ph.D. Students

Satoshi Otsuka (2026—)
Project: Exploring the Interface between Willingness to Communicate and Task Engagement: A Longitudinal Classroom Study
Fang Sun (2023—2025)
Project: Examining the Role of Model Texts in Out-of-Class Writing Support: A Case Study of Chinese University Students Majoring in Japanese

M.A. Students

Mana Sugawara (2026—)
Project: Enhancing Learner Interactional Competence through Metacognitive Instruction
Dallin Richardson (2025—)
Project: Metacognitive Instruction, Learner Psychology, and Engagement in Classroom Speaking
Juni Kabe (2024—)
Project: Learner Engagement in Task Repetition: The Impact of Learner-Generated Content and L2 Grit
Salvador Xiongfei Wang (2024—)
Project: Effects of Talker Variability on Second Language Vocabulary Learning: A Classroom Study