What do you think of when you think of language in Japan? Perhaps you have heard the Japanese language described as "difficult" or "complex," "polite" or "indirect," or even "ancient" or "poetic." Perhaps a gendered aspect or an abundance of scripts garner attention. Given the many representations of language in Japan in social media, popular discourse, or even your own language classes, this course asks, what are the stories that are told about language in Japan, and how do we evaluate those stories? The course draws on readings from diverse fields, including linguistic anthropology, linguistics, cultural history, and literary history. The course is divided into three parts. The first part introduces theories on the relationship between language, ideology, and power. This part helps us identify discourses about what a given language is and what it should be, while exploring the consequences of those discourses. The second part focuses on language ideology and policy in Japanese history, with particular attention to script reform, dialect management, and state language pedagogy. The third part connects the history of language ideologies to present-day language topics, including gendered language, formality, the status of minority languages, and second language acquisition. Throughout, we ask what discourses persist, and why? What theoretical and epistemological tools might we employ to critique those discourses? Although the course centers on language in Japan as a case study, the theories and methods we explore will be applicable to language ideologies in multiple national, transnational, and local contexts. Japanese language abilities are not required - readings will be in English - but you are welcome to leverage any and all knowledge at your disposal.
3-5 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit
What do you think of when you think of language in Japan? Perhaps you have heard the Japanese language described as "difficult" or "complex," "polite" or "indirect," or even "ancient" or "poetic." Perhaps a gendered aspect or an abundance of scripts garner attention. Given the many representations of language in Japan in social media, popular discourse, or even your own language classes, this course asks, what are the stories that are told about language in Japan, and how do we evaluate those stories? The course draws on readings from diverse fields, including linguistic anthropology, linguistics, cultural history, and literary history. The course is divided into three parts. The first part introduces theories on the relationship between language, ideology, and power. This part helps us identify discourses about what a given language is and what it should be, while exploring the consequences of those discourses. The second part focuses on language ideology and policy in Japanese history, with particular attention to script reform, dialect management, and state language pedagogy. The third part connects the history of language ideologies to present-day language topics, including gendered language, formality, the status of minority languages, and second language acquisition. Throughout, we ask what discourses persist, and why? What theoretical and epistemological tools might we employ to critique those discourses? Although the course centers on language in Japan as a case study, the theories and methods we explore will be applicable to language ideologies in multiple national, transnational, and local contexts. Japanese language abilities are not required - readings will be in English - but you are welcome to leverage any and all knowledge at your disposal.
Offered in Winter 2026 at Stanford University.