Dr Kayo Kondo

Lecturer

Affiliations
Affiliation	Telephone
Lecturer in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures	+44 (0) 191 33 42457

Biography

I am a member of the Japanese Studies programme at Durham University, where I convene Japanese Language 1B and 1A/2B and co-teach Critical Methods for the Study of Japanese Literature and History and Specialised Translation (English to Japanese). As the Japanese Studies Year Abroad Coordinator (outgoing), I support students prior to their exchange to Japan. I also hold a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.

My first degree was in Linguistics from Tokyo Woman’s Christian University, and I completed my MA and PhD in Applied Linguistics at the University of East Anglia. Before joining Durham University in 2021, I worked as a teaching associate in Japanese at the School of East Asian Studies at the University of Sheffield.

My research focuses on the interconnection between sociolinguistics and health communication, with a specific focus on Japanese public health and clinical discourses. I explore critical issues such as discourses on autism spectrum disorder and learning disabilities, mental health social work, clinical empathy, person-centred communication in health and social care, and public health messaging, working across Japan and the UK. My approach is grounded in discourse analysis, pragmatics, ethnography and qualitative methodologies using data analysis software and explores the cultural dimensions of health communication. I have collaborated with health professionals and social workers to promote health inclusivity and accessibility in both countries.

I am the author of Patient-centred Communication: Discourse of In-home Medical Consultations for Older Adults (Multilingual Matters, Language at Work series), a monograph that explores the dynamics of medical consultations in ageing populations. I am also the co-editor of Pandemic and Crisis Discourse: Communicating COVID-19 and Public Health Strategy (Bloomsbury). Currently, I am working on my second monograph and also co-editing Healthcare, Language and Inclusivity (Routledge).

My current research examines media discourses on autism and learning disabilities in Japan and the UK, with a particular focus on the role of inclusive language in shaping public understanding. I am also conducting a study on goal setting in Japanese language teaching in UK higher education. My work aims to promote neurodiversity awareness and understanding across cultures and disciplines, adding to both academic discourse and societal change.