Hideo Tomita joined the Kenyon faculty in 1988. At Kenyon, he has taught all levels of Japanese as well as courses on linguistics and language acquisition, including "Introductory Japanese Linguistics" and "Issues in Second Language Learning." He has also taught Japanese during summer at various institutions such as Middlebury College and International Christian University in Tokyo.
Tomita specializes in Japanese linguistics and he has been developing Japanese grammar that adequately responds to the questions of students who study Japanese as a foreign language. In 2007, he published a book, "Essentials of Japanese Grammar for Teachers," from Kurosio Publishers, Tokyo. Tomita's current research interest is in a cross-linguistic study of propositional modality (i.e., roughly speaker's attitude toward his utterance). He focuses his language teaching on practice that enables students to discern the proper use of the language according to the context.
Areas of Expertise
Japanese linguistics (syntax, semantics, discourse analysis, pragmatics), communicative language teaching.
Education
1995 — Doctor of Philosophy from The Ohio State University
1988 — Master of Arts from The Ohio State University
1986 — Master of Arts from The Ohio State University
1975 — Bachelor of Arts from Keio University
Courses Recently Taught
JAPN 111Y
Intensive Introductory Modern Japanese
JAPN 111Y
JAPN 111Y–112Y is a yearlong course for students who are beginning the study of Japanese. This course introduces basic Modern Standard Japanese and provides students with language skills through intensive practice and with knowledge of various aspects of the Japanese culture. Students also will learn three types of Japanese orthography: hiragana, katakana and approximately 200 kanji. Class meetings range from nine hours per week in the first semester to eight hours per week in the second, including three 50-minute evening sessions with an apprentice teacher (AT). Offered every fall semester.
JAPN 112Y
Intensive Introductory Modern Japanese
JAPN 112Y
This course is the second half of JAPN 111Y–112Y. JAPN 112Y is offered in the spring. See description for JAPN 111Y. Offered every year.
JAPN 213Y
Intermediate Modern Japanese
JAPN 213Y
JAPN 213Y–214Y is a yearlong course that continues building a solid foundation in the Japanese program while developing communication skills in Japanese. By the end of the course, students will have learned all the basic grammar of Modern Standard Japanese and the cumulative total of 400 kanji. Coursework involves extensive assignments for speaking, listening, writing and reading, which will include materials about Japanese culture written in Japanese. Prerequisite: JAPN 111Y–112Y or equivalent. Offered every year.
JAPN 214Y
Intermediate Modern Japanese
JAPN 214Y
This course is the second half of JAPN 213Y–214Y. See description for JAPN 213Y. Offered every year.
JAPN 321
Advanced Japanese Language and Culture
JAPN 321
In this course, we will explore a wide range of topics related to Japanese culture, such as food, religion, popular culture, and performing arts. In addition to deepening students’ understanding of Japanese culture this course also seeks to further enhance reading, speaking, listening and writing proficiency in the Japanese language. Moreover, it helps students gain skills in research and presentation in Japanese. This course is conducted in Japanese. Prerequisite: JAPN 213Y–214Y or equivalent. Offered every other year.
JAPN 322
Japanese Culture and Society through Literary and Media Texts
JAPN 322
This course introduces Japanese culture through authentic materials in Japanese language, such as newspapers, fictions, essays, TV dramas and anime. Students will learn concepts essential for understanding contemporary Japanese culture and society, and participate in discussion, presentation and research on related topics. Meanwhile, this course seeks to further enhance reading, speaking, listening and writing proficiency in the Japanese language. Prerequisite: JAPN 213Y–214Y or equivalent. Offered every other year.
JAPN 323
Advanced Reading and Composition
JAPN 323
The two main goals of this course are to help students gain skills in (1) research and presentation in Japanese, and (2) utilizing Japanese resources online. Outside the classroom students will independently research their own topics of interest mainly online. In class they will evaluate the information with regard to reliability and accuracy, summarize the relevant points, and then present them verbally and in writing. As a final project, students will write a research paper in Japanese on a contemporary topic. Prerequisite: JAPN 322 or permission of instructor. Offered every other year.
JAPN 325
Japanese Linguistics
JAPN 325
This course surveys the characteristics of the Japanese language. Students will first review formal aspects of the language, including sound patterns, word formation rules, and sentence patterns, in order to understand how they are combined to generate meaning in Japanese. Students will next examine actual uses of the language as influenced by cultural concepts and social contexts. The course is taught in English. Prerequisite: JAPN 111Y-112Y or permission of instructor. Normally offered every third year.
JAPN 493
IS:Reading Japanese Documents
JAPN 493
This course offers an opportunity to study on an individual basis an area of special interest — literary, cultural or linguistic — under the regular supervision of a faculty member. It is offered primarily to candidates for honors, to majors and, under special circumstances, to potential majors and minors. Individual study is intended to supplement, not to take place of, regular courses in the curriculum of each language program. Staff limitations restrict this offering to a very few students. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the MLL department willing to direct the project, and in consultation with them, write up a one page proposal for the IS which must be approved by the department chair before the individual study can go forward. The proposal should specify the schedule of reading and/or writing assignments and the schedule of meeting periods. The amount of work in an IS should approximate that required on average in regular courses of corresponding levels. It is suggested that students begin their planning of an IS well in advance, so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar's deadline. Typically, an IS will earn the student 0.25 or 0.50 units of credit. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet with the instructor one hour per week. Because students must enroll for individual studies by the end of the seventh class day of each semester, they should begin discussion of the proposed individual study preferably the semester before, so that there is time to devise the proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar’s deadline.
JAPN 493
IS: Afterimages of Bakumatsu
JAPN 493
This course offers an opportunity to study on an individual basis an area of special interest — literary, cultural or linguistic — under the regular supervision of a faculty member. It is offered primarily to candidates for honors, to majors and, under special circumstances, to potential majors and minors. Individual study is intended to supplement, not to take place of, regular courses in the curriculum of each language program. Staff limitations restrict this offering to a very few students. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the MLL department willing to direct the project, and in consultation with them, write up a one page proposal for the IS which must be approved by the department chair before the individual study can go forward. The proposal should specify the schedule of reading and/or writing assignments and the schedule of meeting periods. The amount of work in an IS should approximate that required on average in regular courses of corresponding levels. It is suggested that students begin their planning of an IS well in advance, so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar's deadline. Typically, an IS will earn the student 0.25 or 0.50 units of credit. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet with the instructor one hour per week. Because students must enroll for individual studies by the end of the seventh class day of each semester, they should begin discussion of the proposed individual study preferably the semester before, so that there is time to devise the proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar’s deadline.
JAPN 493
IS: Geisha History and Impact
JAPN 493
This course offers an opportunity to study on an individual basis an area of special interest — literary, cultural or linguistic — under the regular supervision of a faculty member. It is offered primarily to candidates for honors, to majors and, under special circumstances, to potential majors and minors. Individual study is intended to supplement, not to take place of, regular courses in the curriculum of each language program. Staff limitations restrict this offering to a very few students. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the MLL department willing to direct the project, and in consultation with them, write up a one page proposal for the IS which must be approved by the department chair before the individual study can go forward. The proposal should specify the schedule of reading and/or writing assignments and the schedule of meeting periods. The amount of work in an IS should approximate that required on average in regular courses of corresponding levels. It is suggested that students begin their planning of an IS well in advance, so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar's deadline. Typically, an IS will earn the student 0.25 or 0.50 units of credit. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet with the instructor one hour per week. Because students must enroll for individual studies by the end of the seventh class day of each semester, they should begin discussion of the proposed individual study preferably the semester before, so that there is time to devise the proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar’s deadline.
JAPN 493
IS: N2, Adv. Study of Japanese
JAPN 493
This course offers an opportunity to study on an individual basis an area of special interest — literary, cultural or linguistic — under the regular supervision of a faculty member. It is offered primarily to candidates for honors, to majors and, under special circumstances, to potential majors and minors. Individual study is intended to supplement, not to take place of, regular courses in the curriculum of each language program. Staff limitations restrict this offering to a very few students. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the MLL department willing to direct the project, and in consultation with them, write up a one page proposal for the IS which must be approved by the department chair before the individual study can go forward. The proposal should specify the schedule of reading and/or writing assignments and the schedule of meeting periods. The amount of work in an IS should approximate that required on average in regular courses of corresponding levels. It is suggested that students begin their planning of an IS well in advance, so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar's deadline. Typically, an IS will earn the student 0.25 or 0.50 units of credit. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet with the instructor one hour per week. Because students must enroll for individual studies by the end of the seventh class day of each semester, they should begin discussion of the proposed individual study preferably the semester before, so that there is time to devise the proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar’s deadline.
JAPN 493
IS: Reading Japanese Documents
JAPN 493
This course offers an opportunity to study on an individual basis an area of special interest — literary, cultural or linguistic — under the regular supervision of a faculty member. It is offered primarily to candidates for honors, to majors and, under special circumstances, to potential majors and minors. Individual study is intended to supplement, not to take place of, regular courses in the curriculum of each language program. Staff limitations restrict this offering to a very few students. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the MLL department willing to direct the project, and in consultation with them, write up a one page proposal for the IS which must be approved by the department chair before the individual study can go forward. The proposal should specify the schedule of reading and/or writing assignments and the schedule of meeting periods. The amount of work in an IS should approximate that required on average in regular courses of corresponding levels. It is suggested that students begin their planning of an IS well in advance, so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar's deadline. Typically, an IS will earn the student 0.25 or 0.50 units of credit. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet with the instructor one hour per week. Because students must enroll for individual studies by the end of the seventh class day of each semester, they should begin discussion of the proposed individual study preferably the semester before, so that there is time to devise the proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar’s deadline.
Academic & Scholarly Achievements
2007
Tomita (2007). Essentials of Japanese Grammar for Teachers. Tokyo: Kurosio Publishers.
2005
Tomita (2005). "JFL: Accommodating College Students' Intellectual Interests and Focusing the Use of Technology." In Kamada et al. (eds.) Recent Developments in Language Education: In Honor of Professor Seiichi Makino's 70th birthday, 223-241. Tokyo: Hitsuji Publishing.
2003
Tomita (2003) "An Integrated Approach to Advanced Level Japanese with Video Clips." Paper for CATJ (Central Association of Te achers of Japanese) 15th Annual Conference.
1998
Tomita (1998). "SPOT Test Result: The Case of Middlebury Summer Program." Tomita, H (ed.) Working Papers of the Japanese School vol.1,108-22. Middlebury Summer Japanese School.
1997
Tomita (1997) "An Analysis on Acquisition of the Japanese Particles WA and GA by L2 Japanese Learners--Difficulty Caused by Contrasting Cues." Japanese Language Education Around the Globe 7, 157-174. Japan Foundation.