Kimberley Rothville holds a first-class MA (Applied Linguistics) from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and is currently studying towards a PhD. Her research examines Japanese language acquisition and extensive reading, with a particular focus on vocabulary, reading comprehension, attitude, and motivation. Her research interest in Japanese language acquisition stems from her four years spent teaching English in Northern Japan which gave her an opportunity to consider the different situations of second and foreign language learners, in terms of her students and her own Japanese language acquisition, and rethink some of the ways in which foreign languages are approached in the classroom.

University of the Ryukyus