Keiko Konoeda
Lecturer in Japanese
Associations
Japanese
Roger Williams Hall, Room 209
Asian Studies
About
Keiko Konoeda is a lecturer in Japanese, and teaches Japanese language courses. She received her doctorate in education (EdD) from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a concentration in Language, Literacy, and Culture. Her doctoral dissertation examined language students’ identities and engagement in digital storytelling in Japanese.
Keiko’s research focuses on language pedagogy, rooted in sociocultural theories of language and literacy, such as Literacy as Social Practice, Critical Literacies, and the Pedagogy of Multiliteracies. Her research rethinks what it means to learn a foreign language in a college language classroom, through ethnographic and discourse analysis of students’ engagement in classroom projects. She recently co-authored a chapter in Multiliteracies in World Language Education (Routledge, 2015, find on Amazon.com) and a Japanese book of task collections Nihongo-de Shakai-to Tsunagaroo [Let’s connect with the society in Japanese!] (Coco Shuppan, Tokyo, 2016, find on Amazon.co.jp).
Her language courses provide ample opportunity for experiential learning – opportunities to actually use Japanese language for real-world purposes. Her courses are designed with authentic projects that scaffold students to engage in meaningful and culturally-relevant tasks in Japanese language, while developing their skills in language use, cultural analysis, and technology. She also advises senior thesis written in Japanese language.
Expertise
Current Courses
Fall Semester 2025
Senior Thesis
An extended research project on a topic relevant to East Asian society and culture that adopts one or more of the disciplinary approaches represented in the Asian studies curriculum. Students register for 457 in the fall semester or for 458 in the winter semester unless the Asian studies program com…
Beginning Japanese I
An introduction to the basics of spoken and written Japanese as a foundation for advanced study and proficiency in the language. Fundamental patterns of grammar and syntax are introduced together with a practical, functional vocabulary. Mastery of the katakana and hiragana syllabaries, as well as ap…
Intermediate Japanese I
A continuation of JPN 102, the course stresses the acquisition of new and more complex spoken patterns, vocabulary building, and increasing knowledge of cultural context through role play, video, and varied reading materials. Approximately seventy-five new written characters are introduced. A range …
Upper Intermediate Japanese
A continuation of JPN 202, this course completes the introduction of essential Japanese syntactic forms and sentence patterns and prepares students to read, write, and discuss a range of texts in Japanese. Students continue development of oral skills through culturally realistic exercises involving …
Senior Thesis
An extended research project on a topic in Japanese literature, culture, or language utilizing some source materials in Japanese. Qualified students may, with approval of the Committee on Asian Studies, choose to write the thesis in Japanese. Students register for 457 in the fall semester or for 458…