Benedicte Mosby Irgens

Position

Lecturer, Japanese language and linguistics

Affiliation

Department of Foreign Languages

E-mail: benedicte.irgens@uib.no
Phone number: +47 55588843
Visitor address: Sydnesplassen 7
5007 Bergen; Room: 327
Postal address: P.O. Box 7805

NO-5020 Bergen

Norway

Benedicte Mosby Irgens

Position

Lecturer, Japanese language and linguistics

Affiliation

Department of Foreign Languages

Research groups

Research group Multilingualism on my mind

Short info

In 2019, I received the title "Dosent", which is the same rank as professor, but with more focus on teaching and educational development.
In 2023, I was awarded status as excellent teaching practitioner at the University of Bergen.

Research

My field of research is within Japanese linguistics, and my PhD dissertation from 2017 was about person deixis in a contrastive perspective. Person deixis is not grammaticalized in the same way in Japanese as in English and other European languages, and in addition, nominal ellipsis is frequent in Japanese. In my dissertation, I have tried to find out whether the Japanese grammar system has any compensatory devices that serve to clarify the coding of participant roles. The entire dissertation is accessible here: http://bora.uib.no/handle/1956/17273

In 2013, I organized the 9th conference of the Nordic Association of Japanese and Korean Studies (NAJAKS) in collaboration with colleagues in the Bergen Area.

From fall 2023, we will start a brand new Master´s program in Japan Studies here at UiB, and I will contribute with teaching and supervision mainly in the field of applied Japanese linguistics.

In 2024-25 I have started a funded project for the development of a AI-based chatbot for Japanese learners at the elementary level.

From 2025, I am working on an article (in English) about Plain Language movements in Japan. Next to Plain Japanese, which exists in the context of the international ISO standards, Japan has its own scholar-initiated movement called Yasashii nihongo (やさしい日本語), which has foreign residents as its main target.

Outreach

I have appeared in Norwegian media (local and national radio and television) on several occasions as an expert on Japanese language and culture.

Teaching

I work as a Teaching Professor (docent) of Japanese linguistics at our department, and teach Japanese language on elementary and intermediate levels. I also give lectures on topics related to Japanese society and culture, such as Meiji history, religion, gender/family and Japan in East-Asia. I have supervised a large number of bachelor´s theses on various topics in Japan Studies. From 2023 I will contribute with teaching and supervision in our new Master´s program in Japan Studies, mainly in the field of applied Japanese linguistics.

In 2023, I was awarded status as Excellent Teaching Practitioner at the University of Bergen.

Publications

2025

2024

2023