Naomi Sugimoto Laboratory: Exploring Language, Nursing, and Culture

Communication Studies (Medical, Educational, and Intercultural)

We offer an intensive learning program designed to help students master English, the global lingua franca. We also provide opportunities to learn a wide range of world languages, enabling students to engage actively in cultures and historical contexts that interest them. In addition, language education at Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care is not limited to English. With the cooperation of other faculties, students can choose to learn many other languages, such as Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, German, and French.

In the Language, Nursing, and Culture project, we examine the role of language and culture in medical settings from the perspective of communication studies. Research topics cover a wide range, including a malaria prevention program in Ghana, a shokuiku (food and nutrition education) game for children, health education for employees using a "mock izakaya (Japanese pub)", problems faced by Japanese residents in the United States when seeking medical care, and cultural support for pregnant Chinese women living in Japan.

In Project I and II, students work on their graduation research, the culmination of their four years of study. They sometimes go off-campus for training camps to present their interim research reports.