The University of Sheffield

Faculty Member, School of East Asian Studies

Lecturer

About

I first arrived in Sheffield as an undergraduate student in 1985, where I read for a degree in Japanese and Linguistics. During my undergraduate work, I took a year's leave to study in Japan as a Monbusho scholarship grantee, and then graduated in 1990 with First Class honours. I was subsequently awarded a British Academy State Studentship to study for a PhD at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London between 1990-1993, after which I taught Japanese and Japanese Studies at the University of Limerick, Eire, for several years before coming to Sheffield in 1997. Following on from my doctoral thesis, entitled "The Genji Monogatari: A Loose Sequence of Vague Phrases?" my main research interests lie in the fields of classical Japanese linguistics and literature, and Japanese-English translation methodology, although I have also begun to develop interests in Japanese popular culture.

Since 1998 I have been involved with SEAS’ Distance Learning MA in Advanced Japanese Studies, teaching Japanese-English Translation, and have explored various new approaches to language teaching using on-line techniques and technologies. I am currently experimenting with audio-visual feedback to students.

In 2001 I combined my interests in classical Japanese literature and new technologies to establish the Japan 2001 Waka website and mailing list as part of the national Japan 2001 Festival, translating 2001 classical Japanese poems in the course of the year. This work has continued, with over 3000 translated poems now available, and more added irregularly.

I sit on the national Special Interest Group for Less Widely Taught Languages, representing the White Rose East Asia Centre, and organised a major conference on teaching and training in the languages of the wider world, held in Sheffield in September 2010. I am also currently on the council of the British Association for Japanese Studies.

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