Maki Hirotani

Dr. Maki Hirotani teaches Japanese and is an expert in computer-assisted language learning and computer-mediated communication, second language acquisition, and applied linguistics. She has accompanied student groups on trips to Japan and also advises the campus Anime Society.

Academic Degrees

  • BA, Nara Women's University, Japanese History, 1992
  • MA, Michigan State University, Telecommunication, 1995
  • MS, Purdue University, Foreign Language Education, 2001
  • PhD, Purdue University, Linguistics, 2005

Teaching Interests

  • Japanese language
  • Japanese culture
  • Japanese media

Research Experiences

  • Second language acquisition in speaking and writing
  • Computer assisted language learning
  • Oral proficiency and fluency
  • Intercultural communication

Select Publications & Presentations

  • “Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication Knowledge and Skills: Learning Through an Interclass Collaborative Project with Native Speakers of Japanese,” Technology Supported Learning In and Out of the Japanese Language Classroom: Theoretical, Empirical, and Pedagogical Developments, Forthcoming
  • “Telecollaboration Project Between Learners of Japanese and Native Speakers: Implementation Report and Suggestions for Integrating Telecollaboration in a Language Curriculum,” International Conference of Japanese Language Education, Bali, Indonesia, 2016
  • “Research on Oral Fluency Using Objective Measures: Its Significance and Actual Computation of Measures,” Central Association of Teachers of Japanese Conference, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2015
  • “Integrating a Large Scale of an Intercultural Collaborative Project into a Foreign Language Classroom for the Development of Intercultural Competence,” European Association for Computer-Assisted Language Learning, Padova, Italy, 2015
  • “Fluency Development of Novice Learners in Comparison with Native Speakers,” American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, San Antonio, Texas, 2014
  • “The Development of L2 Japanese Self-Introductions in an Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Language Exchange,” Foreign Language Annals, 2013
  • “Syntactic Complexity Development in L2 Writing: A Longitudinal Study Using Blog Corpora,” Acquisition of Japanese as a Second Language, 2013

Awards & Honors

  • Microsoft Tablet PC grant, 2007
  • Linguistics research funding for human subjects, 2003
  • Purdue University summer research funding, 2003
  • Purdue University Graduate Student Award for Outstanding Teaching, 2000