"Assistant Professor, Japanese Language Studies"

Job Details

The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Indiana University Bloomington’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies invites applications for the position of Assistant Professor (tenure-track) in Japanese Language and Linguistics, to begin August 1, 2026. The position is 100% in HLS’s renowned multidisciplinary Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALC). The Japanese Language Program is one of three thriving language programs in the EALC. Along with Chinese and Korean, Japanese at IU is a popular and active field of study. Enrollment in undergraduate Japanese language courses averages 350 students per semester and is complemented by a full range of content courses in Japanese linguistics and pedagogy and Japan Studies more broadly. Our MA and PhD programs offer exciting opportunities for cutting-edge research in East Asian languages and linguistics. Along with EALC, the East Asian Studies Center and the 21st Century Japan Politics and Society Initiative contribute to co-curricular programming that helps students connect with Japan and the Japanese language and culture in a variety of ways. Beyond the department and the Hamilton Lugar School, Indiana University itself is home to a large number of language researchers, making IU a vibrant community for linguistic scholarship. The candidate who takes this position will join faculty and students who are committed to excellence in Japanese research and teaching.

The successful candidate will be able to teach Japanese language, linguistics and/or language pedagogy, and contribute to the graduate program in Japanese Language Pedagogy. Possible specializations include, but are not limited to, language pedagogy, second language studies, computational linguistics, and all subfields of linguistics. The teaching load is two courses per semester. Teaching responsibilities will include Japanese language courses and undergraduate and graduate courses in support of the department’s curriculum. The candidate will also have the opportunity to offer courses in their specialty.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. All applications received by November 10, 2025 will be guaranteed full consideration.

Basic Qualifications

The selected candidate must have a doctoral degree in hand or a clear indication that the degree will be in hand by August 1, 2026, in Japanese language pedagogy, second language studies, computational linguistics, any subfield of linguistics, or a related field. The candidate must be qualified to teach Japanese language at all levels and graduate courses in language pedagogy and/or linguistics. Candidates should have at least two years of experience and demonstrated success in teaching Japanese, along with native or near-native fluency in Japanese and English. Qualified candidates must have an active research record with clear potential for scholarly excellence, as well as a strong commitment to language teaching.

Preferred Qualifications

Candidates with any of the following qualifications are strongly encouraged to apply: research focused on quantitative methods, corpus linguistics, computational linguistics, or language learning technology; familiarity with language assessment and/or ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines; potential to coordinate the Japanese language program in the future.

Required Application Materials

In order to receive full consideration, Interested candidates should review the application requirements and submit the following documents: a letter of application describing research and teaching interests, a C.V., contact information for three references who will be asked to provide letters of recommendation, up to three writing samples, and a teaching portfolio (e.g., course descriptions, syllabi, teaching evaluations, sample lesson plans, teaching material, assessments such as tests, and, if available, link to a video clip of classroom teaching). Applicant referees will receive an email link to submit their letters of reference directly to the search committee through the PeopleAdmin interface.

Inquiries and questions regarding the position should be directed to Professor Jae DiBello Takeuchi, jtake@iu.edu. Questions regarding the submission process using the PeopleAdmin application submission interface may be directed to Mr. Zac Muller, HLS Assistant Director of Faculty Relations at zmuller@iu.edu.

Application materials may be submitted via the PeopleAdmin applicant portal at: https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/30719

Indiana University is an equal opportunity employer and provider of ADA services, and prohibits discrimination in hiring. See Indiana University Notice of Non-Discrimination here which includes contact information.