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Yasu-Hiko Tohsaku

Professor of Development Studies
ytohsaku@ucsd.edu
Phone: (858) 534-2302
Fax: (858)

9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093-0519
Office #1403

Publications

Courses

Education
Ph.D. and M.A., University of California, San Diego (linguistics)
M.A., Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (Spanish linguistics)
B.A., Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (Spanish linguistics)

Biography

CV

Tohsaku is a specialist in second language acquisition theory and language pedagogy. His recent research focuses on the effects of instruction on language acquisition and learning. He is studying the effects of explicit grammar instruction on the development of language skills, how process-oriented vocabulary and grammar activities accelerate language acquisition, and higher-level cognitive skills in the development of reading abilities. Tohsaku has also done research on a performance-oriented test for measuring overall Japanese language abilities, a computer-based adaptive reading test, an internet-based placement test, and other language tests. He has published articles in leading journals of linguistics and language pedagogy and wrote the first communicative-oriented Japanese language textbooks published in the United States: Yookoso!: An Invitation to Contemporary Japanese and Yookoso!: Continuing with Contemporary Japanese. Tohsaku's latest book is Yookoso!: Getting Started with Yookoso! He is working on a book in which he will discuss the application of second language acquisition theory to practical Japanese language teaching.

Tohsaku chairs the California-Japanese Framework Project, which is currently developing curriculum guidelines for K-16 Japanese language instruction in California. He is also involved with the development of a web-based, language teacher-training program funded by the Ford Foundation. Tohsaku designed and coordinated an intensive language program for the Canadian Department of National Defense and has been an advisor for language and teacher training programs in the United States, Canada and Japan. As director of the IR/PS Language Program, Tohsaku supervises Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese lecturers. He also coordinates the undergraduate Japanese language program at UCSD. Prior to joining IR/PS in 1987, he taught at the University of British Columbia, Canada.

Perspectives
Tohsaku can provide commentary on issues related to cross-cultural, interlanguage communication, as well as language learning and teaching for languages of the Pacific Rim.

Expertise

Tohsaku is a specialist in second language acquisition theory and language pedagogy.

Current Projects

Tohsaku's recent research focuses on the effects of instruction on language acquisition and learning. He is studying the effects of explicit grammar instruction on the development of language skills, how process-oriented vocabulary and grammar activities accelerate language acquisition, and higher-level cognitive skills in the development of reading abilities. He also has done research on a performance-oriented test for measuring overall Japanese language abilities, computer-based adaptive reading test, Internet-based placement test and other language tests.

Background Notes

Tohsaku chairs the California-Japanese Framework Project, which is currently developing curriculum guidelines for K-16 Japanese language instruction in California. He is also involved with the development of a web-based, language teacher-training program funded by the Ford Foundation. He designed and coordinated an intensive language program for the Canadian Department of National Defense and has been an advisor for language and teacher training programs in the United States, Canada and Japan. Prior to joining IR/PS in 1987, he taught in Canada. As director of the IR/PS Language Program, he supervises Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Vietnamese lecturers. He also coordinates UCSD's undergraduate Japanese language program. B.A. in Spanish Language and M.A. in Spanish Linguistics from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. M.A. and Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of California, San Diego.

Publications of Note

Tohsaku has published articles in leading journals of linguistics and language pedagogy. He wrote the first communicative-oriented Japanese language textbooks published in the United States: Yookoso!: An Invitation to Contemporary Japanese and Yookoso!: Continuing with Contemporary Japanese. His latest book is Yookoso!: Getting Started with Yookoso! He is working on a book in which he will discuss the application of second language acquisition theory to practical Japanese language teaching.

Japanese Language for Professional Proficiency

Fall 2006

Course Description: This course is designed to enable students at an advanced level of proficiency to maintain and improve their Japanese language skills through a combination of classes, language laboratories, exercises, and other language experiences. Prerequisite: IR/PS majors only, or by consent of instructor.