- Assistant Professor
- Office Location: Swan Hall 159
Biography
Dr. Hae Ree Jun is an Assistant Professor of Japanese in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures at the University of Rhode Island. Before joining URI, she served as the Director of Japanese Language Instruction at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
She earned her Ph.D. in Japanese from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Originally from South Korea, she received her bachelor’s degree in International Liberal Arts and her master’s degree in Japanese Applied Linguistics from Waseda University in Japan.
Areas of Expertise: Japanese Linguistics, Sociolinguistics of Globalization, Translingualism, Narrative Analysis, Interactional Analysis
Research
Dr. Jun’s research lies at the intersection of Japanese linguistics and the sociolinguistics of globalization. As a transnational and multilingual scholar, she is committed to exploring how language operates in a globalized world. Her work examines the perception and use of Japanese in multilingual and multicultural contexts, providing rich empirical narratives and interactional analyses that illuminate how diverse speakers use Japanese as part of their multilingual repertoires. Through these narratives, her research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of Japanese as a lived, dynamic language that transcends national and linguistic boundaries.
Her current projects extend along two major lines of inquiry: one investigates transnational workers’ language use, job security, and power relations; the other explores how American learners of Japanese negotiate language and identity while studying and interning in Japan. These studies not only deepen theoretical discussions of language and identity but also offer pedagogical insights for Japanese language education in transnational settings.
Education
B.A. in International Liberal Arts, Waseda University, Japan
M.A. in Japanese Applied Linguistics, Waseda University, Japan
Ph.D. in Japanese, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Selected Publications
Jun, H. R., & Mu, B. (2024). An Ecological Perspective on Agency: L2 Learners’ Sociopragmatic Interpretations and Strategies in a Study Abroad Context. Languages, 9 (5), 174. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9050174.
Jun, H. R., & Mori, J. (2024). “Behind Jovial Translingual Displays: Negotiation of Power and Job Security among Transnational Workers,” in S. Dovchin, R. Oliver, & Li Wei (Eds.), Translingual Practices: Playfulness and Precariousness (pp.43-61). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009072779.004.
Teaching
Dr. Jun's teaching philosophy centers on the transformative potential of language learning to broaden students' worldviews, expand their personal and professional horizons, and prepare them to engage thoughtfully and responsibly in global society. She views language education as a means of fostering critical intercultural awareness and empowering learners to participate actively in multilingual and multicultural communities.
Grounded in her expertise in applied linguistics and sociolinguistics, Dr. Jun designs courses that emphasize the multimodal nature of communication and the dynamic relationship between language, culture, and identity. Her classes encourage students to engage with diverse forms of meaning-making, including spoken interaction, visual and digital media, and written discourse, while analyzing how language functions across modalities and social contexts.
In 2025, she received the College of Arts and Sciences Advising Excellence Award in recognition of her dedication to student mentorship and academic advising.
Selected Courses
Japanese Language and Culture
Japanese through Texts and Media
Japanese for Academic and Professional Purposes
Intermediate Japanese I-II
Advanced Japanese I-II