Cultural Background
My home is the Philippines, where I was born and raised. My parents are from Japan, and I lived there for a few years during senior high school and college. My cultural identities lie in both cultures: I grew up with a clear sense of my Japanese heritage, but I also deeply relate to Filipino culture and experiences. I have also been reconnecting with my Ryukyuan heritage through fieldwork trips to Yoronjima.
Linguistic Background
I speak Japanese (Tokyo and Kobe varieties), Tagalog, and English. I spoke Japanese at home and school growing up, and Tagalog elsewhere. I learned English later in classroom settings. These three are the only languages I can use (somewhat) flexibly in various situations, but I have enjoyed learning others along the way, and I look forward to learning more in the future.
My Journey into Linguistics
Growing up in a multilingual environment, I was always highly aware of languages around me and fascinated by them. At one point, I even gave some serious thought to becoming a translator or interpreter – the only language-related jobs I could think of then. But linguistics, as an academic or professional field, was not on my radar. Like many people I know, I discovered linguistics later in life.
It was in college that my interest in languages really took off and it was also where I learned about linguistics. Although my major was not linguistics, I had mentors who were linguists, as well as others with expertise in related fields such as behavioral science, cognitive science, and psychology. I owe them for nurturing my interests. Some of my favorite courses were on linguistics and logic, while other courses taught me the foundations of behavioral and experimental research. For electives, I took as many languages courses I could fit into my schedule (English, French, Latin, Spanish), which fueled my passion – I particularly enjoyed decoding Latin texts and improving my ability to communicate with my professor in Spanish. I studied bilingualism for directed research and I developed it further for my senior thesis, which I wrote based on the (rudimentary) experimental study I designed. I enjoyed research and started envisioning a career as a researcher. I also wanted to learn more about bilingualism and language acquisition, so I decided to apply to graduate programs in education, linguistics, or psychology. I ended up in linguistics, thanks to mentors who took a chance on me. It was a risk (for me and for them), given how little I knew at the time, but it turned out to be the right choice. I discovered my love for analyzing all kinds of linguistic data – whether phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, or experimental. I also appreciated the interdisciplinary nature of linguistics, which has a little bit of everything. These are aspects of linguistics I still enjoy to date.
Because college played a crucial role in helping me find a path I did not know existed, I feel privileged to work in higher education and help others navigate their own journey. I am also honored that part of my research relates to Tagalog and the Philippines, as it is something I have wanted to pursue.
Life Outside Linguistics
Outside of linguistics, I enjoy coffee, mystery novels, birdwatching, puzzles, musicals, video games, and watching sports.
Nozomi Tanaka 