In linguistics, the research focus areas include
- Phonetics, phonology, syntax and pragmatics (Korean)
- Discourse analysis (e.g., Korean literature, drama and film; legal and judicial language in Japan; media representation in Japan, Japanese as heritage language)
- Style and register, linguistic politeness
- Minority languages of China and linguistic variation in Chinese
- Acquisition of the Chinese writing system
- Language documentation
- Contrastive linguistics
- Translation (from Japanese to Finnish)
- Teaching Asian languages as foreign languages and language acquisition
- Language teacher education and professional development
- The evolution of Hindi and Urdu, including related political and social factors
- Language endangerment and revitalisation
- Language contacts and attitudes
- Language (education) policy
Additionally, research focus areas at the intersection of linguistics, literature and culture include
- Language and popular culture
- Consumer culture and media in Japan
- Sufi poetry and ritual context
- Cognitive poetics and Urdu and Persian poetry
- Persian literature in India
Teaching and research in Asian languages is closely linked to the study of East and South Asian cultures and societies and multilingualism.