Foreign Language Education, Language Education Policy
Detailed contents of research
One of my main areas of research focuses on the role of motivation in supporting autonomous learning outside the classroom. Achieving meaningful outcomes in foreign language learning requires a significant amount of study time—something that cannot be fully covered within classroom hours alone. Therefore, learners must engage in independent study, and sustaining that engagement depends heavily on motivation. I examine how various elements of the educational environment—such as lesson content, classroom activities, instructional formats, and curriculum design—affect learners’ motivation.
Another central focus of my research is the role of language education in promoting multicultural coexistence. In today’s increasingly diverse societies, where people from various linguistic and cultural backgrounds live together, fostering mutual understanding is essential to avoiding social fragmentation and cultural conflict. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), published by the Council of Europe in 2001, offers a vision of plurilingualism and pluriculturalism that is closely tied to intercultural education. Drawing on this framework, I explore how these concepts can be meaningfully contextualized within foreign language education in Japan and translated into classroom practice.
Simplified curriculum vitae
Education:
B.A. (Integrated Human Studies), Kyoto University, 2006
M.A. (Human and Environmental Studies), Kyoto University, 2008
Ph.D. (Human and Environmental Studies), Kyoto University, 2012
Work Experience:
Apr. 2011 – Mar. 2014, Part-time Lecturer, Konan University, Kyoto University
Apr. 2014 – Mar. 2017, Research Associate, Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University
Apr. 2017 – Mar. 2022, Part-time Lecturer, Daito Bunka University, Dokkyo University, etc.
Apr. 2022 – present, Assistant Professor, Research Faculty of Media and Communication, Hokkaido University
Apr. 2022 – Mar. 2025, Assistant Professor, Research Faculty of Media and Communication, Hokkaido University
Apr. 2025 – present, Associate Professor, Research Faculty of Media and Communication, Hokkaido University
Research achievements
・HORI Shinya (2025), “Future directions for AI in language education and the evolving role of teachers: Distinguishing AI capabilities and limitations” , Journal of Plurilingual and Multilingual Education, No. 12, pp. 205-214.
・HORI Shinya (2024), « L’impact des facteurs liés à l’environnement d’apprentissage sur la motivation et les besoins psychologiques fondamentaux des apprenants de français ». Revue japonaise de didactique du français, Vol.19-1，pp. 43-59.
・Shinya HORI (2024), “Online teaching in language education in the Post-Corona Era: Based on a questionnaire survey of French learners’ psychological needs”, Studies in e-Learning Language Education, Vol.18, pp. 40-52.
・Shinya Hori (2022), “The Stagnation of ELP and Its Prospects after Publication of the CEFR-CV”, Language Teacher Education, Vol.9-2, pp. 1-12.
Society Affiliation
La Société Japonaise de Didactique du Français, Japan Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Association for e-learning Language Education
Classes in charge
Graduate School: In-Depth Studies on Multicultural Education (Intercultural Contact)
