Yumi Nixon
Lecturer in Japanese

Profile

Biography

Yumi is a Lecturer in Japanese. She originally joined the Languages for All programme as a part-time tutor in 1998 while undertaking her PhD in intercultural communication research and training at the Psychology Department, University of York

While teaching at the LFA she worked as a translator within academic settings and for commercial projects in the UK and Japan.  She is also involved with teaching and administering GCSE Japanese exams in the York area, and provides support to visiting Japanese students through Global Opportunities at the University of York.  

Prior to this Yumi completed her training in translation and interpreting at Osaka College of Foreign Languages, a TEFL course at Luton College, BSc in Psychology at the University of York, followed by the acquisition of the Japanese Language Instructors Qualification Certificate.  In Japan she initially worked as an English teacher in Osaka and was involved in translation and management within international companies in Tokyo. 

Based on her research and experience working in international business environments, she is particularly interested in exploring the process of intercultural communication and how cultural awareness in one’s own communication style helps people in improving their interaction skills.  Incorporation of cultural aspects in language learning is therefore an important aspect of her teaching practice.

Departmental roles

• IWLP Module Convener: Japanese

Teaching

Other teaching

• Japanese Language and Cultures: Lower Intermediate
• Japanese Language and Cultures: Intermediate
• LfA Japanese Beginner
• LfA Japanese Lower Intermediate
• Language for International Mobility: Japanese

External activities

Memberships

• The Association of Japanese Language Teachers in Europe (AJE)
• The British Association for Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language 
• 初級教授法研究会
• European Association for Japanese Studies (EAJS)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Invited talks and conferences

Conference papers and workshops

• 2023: Dialogue and Reflection on Japanese Teachers’ Professionalism: UK educators’ perspective. Group presentation at the 25th British Association for Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language (BATJ) annual conference, University of Oxford
  
• 2022: Reflection on the CPD workshop ‘Interactive art appreciation through dialogue for Japanese teachers’. Paper presented with Megumi Baily at Language for Specific Purposes in Higher Education (LSPHE) Conference, University of York
• 2022: Creating mutual and deep learning environments for teachers through self-direction, self-awareness, and dialogue: reflection on teacher professionalism. Panel presentation at 25th Japanese Language Education Symposium in Europe, Leiden University, The Netherland
• 2022: Think language teaching outside the box? Think Japanese storytelling box!
  Talk and workshop delivered with Géraldine Enjelvin, Ulrike Wray, Natsuko Shibara Perera and Megumi Bailey at World Kamishibai Forum
• 2022: Kamishibai: an empowering storytelling tool for life-long learning (and enjoyment). Poster presented with Géraldine Enjelvin & Ulrike Wray at Annual Learning and Teaching Conference, University of York 
• 2021-22: CPD workshops for Japanese Language: 対話者としての自分を振り返る- Reflection of self in dialogue. Online three workshop series organised with Megumi Baily and Nayuta Bland at the University of York. 
• 2021: Let’s open a Japanese Story Box: Kamishibai. Open Lecture, delivered with Géraldine Enjelvin, Holly Williams and Ulrike Wray at the University of York
• 2021: Nonverbal perceptual Awareness as part of Language Teaching. Paper presented at Intercultural Competence and Foreign Language Learning in HE: Present and Future Directions, University of Exeter
• 2021: Reference book for teachers and advanced learners of Japanese:
  project on teaching of ‘formal nouns’ - summary and current progress. Group report at annual British Association for Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language 
• 2020-21: CPD workshops for Japanese Language: 「対話」って、何？ - What is “Dialogue”? Online three Workshop series co-organised with Megumi Bailey and Nayuta Bland at the University of York 
• 2020: Use of Mentimeter for Language Teaching. Poster presented at Annual Learning and Teaching Conference, University of York

Selected publications

• Enjelvin, G., Nixon, Y., Wray, U. (2023). Our own special Ks: Kamishibai and its joyful Kyoiku ‘educational’ power in languages. Languages for All programmes and community projects. Forum Magazine, Issue 51 Summer 2023.
• Tokimoto, M., Ozawa, N., Kobayashi, R., Baily, M., Nixon, Y., Brand, N., Fujimitsu, Y., Uehara, K., & Nishizawa, K. (2022). Creating mutual deep learning environments for teachers through self-direction, self-awareness, and dialogue: Reflection on teacher professionalism, The Proceedings of the 25th Japanese Language Symposium in Europe, 26, 99-133.
• Ishibashi, N., Umezawa K., Cartridge, F., Suzuki, M., & Nixon, Y. (2022). Reference Book for Teachers and Advanced Learners of Japanese: Project on  teaching of ‘formal nouns’, Summary and current progress. The British Association for Teaching Japanese as a foreign language (BATJ) Journal, 23. 41-46.
• Enjelvin, G., Nixon, Y., Wray, U., Williams., H. (2022). Kamishibai–Art of storytelling: Let’s open a Japanese Story Box, Kamishibai. Part1. Puthalika Patrika, January issue, 9-14
• Enjelvin, G., Nixon, Y., Wray, U., Williams., H. (2021). Kamishibai–Art of storytelling: Let’s open a Japanese Story Box, Kamishibai. Part 1. Puthalika Patrika, December issue, 28-32.
• Ohashi Y., Wooffitt R., Jackson C., Nixon Y. (2013) Discourse, Culture, and Extraordinary Experiences: Observations from a Comparative, Qualitative Analysis of Japanese and UK English Accounts of Paranormal Phenomena. Western Journal of Communication, Vol. 77, No. 4, July–September, pp. 466–488
• Nixon Y. (2009). Nonverbal perceptual styles of British and Japanese people. Saarbrücken, Germany: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG
• Nixon Y., & Bull P. (2006).  Cultural communication styles and accuracy in cross-cultural perception: A British and Japanese study. Journal of Intercultural Communication, Issue 12.
• Nixon Y., & Bull P. (2005). The effects of cultural awareness on nonverbal perceptual accuracy: British and Japanese training programmes. Journal of Intercultural Communication, Issue 9.