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

Biography

I am a member of the BA Japanese Studies programme at Durham University, where I convene Japanese Language 1B, 1A/2B and co-teach Japanese Language 4, Critical Methods for the Study of Japanese Literature and History, and Specialised Translation (English to Japanese). In addition, as Year Abroad Coordinator (outgoing), I provide guidance and support to students preparing for their exchange in Japan. I am also a Fellow 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, the University of Sheffield (2020), and as a postdoctoral research associate at the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, Newcastle University (2021).

My research focuses on the intersection between applied linguistics and health communication. I explore discourses on patient narratives of health and illness, media representations of autism and learning disabilities, literary analysis of illness, patient–provider interactions in health and social care, and public health messaging. My work is grounded in discourse analysis, interactional sociolinguistics, ethnography and patient interviews, employing qualitative methodologies. I have collaborated with health professionals and carers, working across Japan and the UK.

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). This volume addresses key challenges in crisis communication, ranging from addressing cross-national issues to fostering empathy.

I am currently working on my second monograph and co-editing volumes Healthcare, Language and Inclusivity (Routledge). My ongoing research examines media and literary texts on autism and learning disabilities in Japan and the UK, with a focus on the role of inclusive language in shaping public understanding.

Research interests

  • Autism spectrum disorder
  • Clinical empathy
  • Dialogism
  • Discourse analysis
  • Learning disabilities
  • Medical humanities
  • Patient interview
  • Person-centred communication

Publications

Authored book

Chapter in book

  • Language of Pandemic Discourses
    Vilar-Lluch, S., Kondo, K., & McClaughlin, E. (2024). Language of Pandemic Discourses. In Reference Module in Social Sciences (pp. 1-6). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-323-95504-1.00272-6
  • Doctors' empathy and compassion in online health consultations during the Covid-19 pandemic in Japan
    Kondo, K. (2022). Doctors’ empathy and compassion in online health consultations during the Covid-19 pandemic in Japan. In A. Musolff, R. Breeze, K. Kondo, & S. Vilar-Lluch (Eds.), Pandemic and Crisis Discourse: Communicating COVID-19 and Public Health Strategy (pp. 411-430). Bloomsbury. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350232730.ch-023

Conference Paper

Edited book

Journal Article

Other (Digital/Visual Media)

Presentation