Nina Langton, MA

(She, Her, Hers)

Associate Professor

Japanese Studies, Languages and World Literatures

Other Titles: Japanese
Office: CCS 333
Phone: 250.807.9395
Email: nina.langton@ubc.ca

Research Summary

Computer Assisted Language Learning; effective approaches to teaching and learning Japanese; Open Educational Resources in language teaching.

Courses & Teaching

Japanese Language; Japanese Pop Culture; Japanese Film.

Biography

I started my university studies at Okanagan College and I feel very fortunate to be able to teach and research what I love here at UBCO.

Degrees

BA University of Victoria (Pacific and Oriental Studies), MA University of British Columbia Vancouver (Contemporary Japanese Literature)

Research Interests & Projects

I am interested in Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and ways to use computers and technology to help students achieve their goals in learning the Japanese language.  I look at things like manga animations, computer games, and screencasts to see if and how these technologies can be effective in teaching and learning Japanese. My latest project involves creating an online Open Educational Resource to introduce Japanese language students to the Ainu, the Indigenous Peoples of Japan.

Selected Publications & Presentations

“Three Delivery Modes for Beginning Japanese: Instructor Reflections on Traditional, Hybrid and Flipped Course Formats.” Journal CAJLE (Canadian Association for Japanese Language Education) 22, 2021.

“Screencast delivery of feedback on writing assignments for Beginning Japanese language students: An alternative to the ‘red pen’.” In Zimmerman, Erica and Abigail McMeekin (Eds.), Technology supported learning in and out of the Japanese language classroom. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters, 2019.

“Learning Kanji with a Multimedia Manga: Student Perceptions of engagement and effectiveness.” Journal CAJLE (Canadian Association for Japanese Language Education) 16, July 2015.

“KissaVocab”  and “Kami no Tabi” published to Google Play Store

Supervision of the creation of Japanese language learning apps for basic orthography and vocabulary acquisition by a student team.

“Fuchi ni tatasarete: Kono Taeko no sakuhin ni okeru haha to ko.” In Hirakawa Sukehiro and Hagiwara Takao (Eds.),  Nihon no haha: Hokai to saisei. Tokyo: Shinyosha, 1997.

Selected Grants & Awards

UBCO Office of Provost Open Educational Resources Grant “Developing Open Educational Resources to Contribute to the Indigenization of a Japanese Language Class: Introducing the Ainu Culture to Japanese Language Students. 2021-22

Hakuho Foundation Japanese Research Fellowship. Investigation of best practices for the development of learning objects for use in an online Beginning Japanese Language class. Sept 2016 – Mar 2017.

Japan Foundation. (Advanced Training Program for Teachers of the Japanese Language Grant), Game-based learning: Kanji digital games. Mar -Apr 2017. (Declined)

UBCO Innovations in Teaching and Learning Internal Grant. Digital game-based learning to supplement acquisition of basic Japanese orthography, vocabulary and grammar. 2014 – 16. $10,000.

UBCO Innovations in Teaching and Learning Internal Grant. Enriching learning experiences in Japanese language education through multimedia manga: Examining creative, affective and cognitive strategies for teaching and learning kanji. 2011-13.  $10,000.

UBCO Internal Grant. Construction of Gender in Intercultural Online Language Learning Environments. 2007. $4,000.

Awards & Distinctions

2013, UBCO Teaching Honour Roll Award