Ikuko Fujiwara
Assistant Professor of Writing, Institute for Core Studies
First-Year Writing Program, Institute for Writing Studies
M.A. in TESOL, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
A.B.D. in Composition and TESOL, Indiana
University-Pennsylvania
fujiwari@stjohns.edu
As a teacher…
I see my self as a multicultural instructor, who encourages
students to appreciate multiple perspectives, and to understand how
cultural dialogues can generate inspiring conversations about ways
to appreciate differences and recognize similarities. In my
teaching, I therefore ask students to explore their linguistic,
rhetorical, cultural, and educational differences and how such
backgrounds impact the way they think and write.
As an instructor of writing…
I view writing as a process, an exploration, a form of
communication, and a form of self-empowerment. These understandings
of writing mirror my teaching of writing with hopes that my
students become autonomous writers and thinkers. I wish my students
to experience the struggles of writing and to learn to write not
only for academic purposes, but also for the sake of life. I
encourage students to explore real questions, questions which
derive from real life experiences, and to be comfortable with
ambiguities and confusions—not having clear-cut answers. I ask them
to look into their histories and traditions to find out what they
really want to know and research. I also promote critical thinking
and questioning commonly conceived notions as ways to have close
contact with self, others, and the surrounding world.
As a researcher…
I am interested in second language acquisition, ESL/EFL teaching
theory, composition theory, and second language writing theory. I
received an M.A. in TESOL from Indiana University of Pennsylvania,
where I am currently completing my doctorate in Composition and
TESOL. My dissertation research examines how multilingual college
students construct their senses of authorship through the process
of writing. I am studying how the students begin taking the
assignments upon themselves to craft meaning through language,
text, and materials.