Congratulations Dr. Saori Wakita!

. Three individuals stand in front of a large screen, engaged in discussion or presentation.

On April 3, 2026, Saori Wakita successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, finsihing the last major milestone in her doctoral studies journey.

DEALL extends its heartfelt congratulations to Saori on her remarkable achievements and commends her dedication. Throughout her time in our graduate program, she has excelled as a student leader, an exceptional educator, and a gifted researcher. We are excited to see what she accomplishes in her next chapter.

Congrats Saori!

Dissertation Title: The Influence of L2 English on L1 Japanese Speakers’ Judgments of English Adjective Loanwords in Japanese

Committee Members: Mineharo Nakayama - Advisor, Zhiguo Xie, Shelley F Quinn, and Wynne Wong

Abstract:
This dissertation examines how learning a second language can influence a person’s first language. In particular, it focuses on Japanese speakers who have learned English and asks whether their experience with English changes how they judge what sounds natural in Japanese.

In an experiment, participants were asked to rate the naturalness of different Japanese expressions, including some influenced by English. The results showed that people who know English tended to find certain English-influenced expressions more acceptable than those who use only Japanese.

These findings suggest that learning another language can subtly shape how people use and understand their first language, expanding what they consider natural.