Joy Maa
Assistant Professor
Member Of:
- School of Modern Languages
Office Phone: 404-385-0203
Office Location: Swann 215
Related Links:
Email Address: jmaa8@gatech.edu
Overview
Education:
- Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition, Carnegie Mellon University
- M.A. in Linguistics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- BA in Japanese & Spanish, University of Washington
Interests
Teaching Interests:
My teaching centers on helping students build practical language skills and culturally informed perspectives that they can apply long after the course ends. I design learning experiences that blend meaningful communicative practice, cultural analysis, and guided reflection, while supporting students in becoming self-directed learners who can identify gaps and seek out resources independently. Ultimately, I aim to equip students with the tools to use language confidently, think critically about culture, and connect their learning to their personal goals and real-world contexts.
Research Interests:
My research investigates how second language learners develop pragmatic competence—the ability to use language appropriately in real-world contexts—across classroom, online, and study abroad environments. Focusing especially on L2 Japanese, I examine how learners navigate culturally nuanced language use in digital communication and use these insights to design data-driven, pedagogically relevant instruction. Ultimately, my work aims to bridge the gap between classroom teaching and authentic language use, helping learners communicate more effectively and confidently across cultures.
Research Fields:
- Applied, Cognitive and Socio-Cultural Linguistics
- Japanese
Geographic
Focuses:
Focuses:
- Asia (East)
Issues:
- Cross-Cultural Understanding
- Language Acquisition
- Language and Popular Culture
Courses
- JAPN-3401: Popular Culture in Japan
- ML-2500: Intro Cross-Cult Studies
Publications
Journal Articles
- Using L2 interactional-pragmatic resources in CMC: A case of Japanese orthography and emoji
In: Language Teaching Research, 26(2) [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2022
- A tale of two language ideologies: Discursive co-construction of L2 learner identity in Japanese CMC interactions
In: Foreign Language Annals, 54(1) [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2021
Chapters
- Language socialization and L2 pragmatics
In: The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Pragmatics (N. Taguchi, ed.) [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2019
Updated: Dec 11th, 2025 at 12:48 PM