Etsuyo Yuasa is Associate Professor of Japanese language pedagogy and linguistics. She holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Chicago. With a foundation in theoretical linguistics, her early research focused on the architecture of grammar, exploring the relationship between meaning and structure. Her book Modularity in Language: Constructional and Categorial Mismatch in Syntax and Semantics (Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 2005) analyzes Japanese relative clauses, subordinate clauses, and subordinating conjunction markers, arguing that grammatical exceptions illuminate the system of grammar—just as anomalies in the geocentric model led Copernicus to propose the heliocentric model.

Prof. Yuasa considers theory and practice—both in linguistics and pedagogy—to be dialectically related. She believes that strong theoretical analyses can reveal linguistic and pedagogical patterns that were previously overlooked, and that close attention to language use and instructional effectiveness can, in turn, inform theory. Through this dialectical approach, she has investigated topics such as language change (“Multi-modular approach to gradual change in grammaticalization,” Journal of Linguistics, 2008; “Constructionalization of Japanese koto imperatives,” in Modality and Construction Grammar, 2021), the complexity of grammatical concepts (“An Autolexical account of variation in grammatical relations,” CLS 41, 2008), and the systematic nature of Japanese tense (“From the core to the periphery: the tense system in Japanese,” Japanese Language and Literature, 2008). Her pedagogical research includes individualized instruction (“Japanese Individualized Instruction Program: Goals and Practice,” Sekai no Nihongo Kyooiku, 2005; Individualized Instruction for East Asian Languages, National East Asian Languages Resource Center, 2013; “Personalized instruction for advanced Japanese,” CATJ Proceedings, 2016), integrating linguistic insights into pedagogy (“Practical linguistics of Japanese: Japanese linguistics’ contributions to teach dareka/nanika,” Journal of Japanese Linguistics, 2017; “Pedagogical linguistics training for graduate students,” Japanese Language and Literature, 2020), and fostering generalizable skills in learners (“How to make examples to foster learners’ generalizable skills,” SATJ Proceedings, 2023). 

Currently, Prof. Yuasa investigates how Japanese language and pedagogy are understood when culture is placed at their center. Human beings live and interact within culturally shaped environments, and navigating these socially constructed contexts requires language users to draw on sociocultural knowledge. Despite its importance, however, the nature of this sociocultural knowledge remains underexplored. To address this gap, she examines theoretical perspectives on culture in linguistics, language pedagogy, and related fields. Her recent work investigates how Japanese speakers’ cultural disposition to maintain reciprocal balance—a state in which favor-giving and favor-receiving remain proportionate (i.e., the restoration of debt–credit equilibrium)—shapes both the meanings they seek to convey and the interactional patterns they adopt. As a case study of how this equilibrium influences communication, she examined the practice of “re-thanking” (e.g., kinō wa gochisō-sama deshita) and published a paper on the topic in the PCA Conference Proceedings (2025). Another case study explores Japanese self-deprecating humor. She argues that the distinctive discursive and psychological patterns underlying this type of humor can also be explained through the lens of debt–credit equilibrium. A paper on this topic will appear in The Cambridge Handbook of Usage-Based Approaches to Japanese Linguistics (edited by Yoko Hasegawa).

To contribute broadly to the fields of Japanese linguistics and pedagogy, she has organized numerous conferences, including the Central Association of Teachers of Japanese Conference (2005), the International Japanese–English Translation Conference (2017), the Role of East Asian Studies in the 21st Century Conference (2022), and the Performed Culture Approach Conference (2024). She will also serve as Co-Director of the AATJ Spring Conference in 2027 and 2028.

Prof. Yuasa views research and teaching as mutually reinforcing. She applies her expertise in linguistics and pedagogy to her teaching of Advanced Japanese (Japanese 5103/5104), Intensive Japanese Grammar (Japanese 5315), and graduate courses on Japanese pedagogical grammar (EALL 7701), pedagogy of Japanese interactions (EALL 7700), and East Asian language instruction in college context (EALL 8701). The patterns and challenges faced by Japanese learners and future instructors continually inform her research, deepening our understanding of language and its instruction.

Deeply committed to student growth, Prof. Yuasa designs courses and programs that respond to students’ evolving needs. Between 1998 and 2001, she revamped the Japanese Individualized Instruction Program; in 2016, she developed a new study abroad program with Rikkyo University in Japan; in 2023, she launched the DEALL Graduate Teaching Certificate; and from 2024 to the present, she has been revising the teaching manuals for the Japanese Individualized Instruction Program. She actively mentors graduate students—currently supervising seven—and her former students hold positions at institutions such as Ohio University, UC Davis, Indiana University, Yale University, and The Ohio State University. She has also organized 20 workshops for undergraduate and graduate students on topics such as professionalization, academic job hunting, and grant writing. In recognition of her dedication, she received the College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award in 2024.

To coordinate and facilitate initiatives across faculty, scholars, and units, Prof. Yuasa has served in numerous leadership roles: Director of DEALL’s Japanese Individualized Instruction Program (1998–2013), Undergraduate Studies Director (2003–2005), Graduate Studies Director (2005–2007, 2021–2024), Language Program Director (2007–2008, 2009–2010, 2012–2014), and Japanese Language Program Director (2023–present). Notably, she led the East Asian Studies Center from 2013 to 2020 with exceptional dedication. Under her leadership, EASC secured over $5 million in external funding, including $4.5 million in Title VI grants, supported over 200 students with $4 million in fellowships and scholarships, expanded academic programming, and launched professionalization initiatives. She also fostered community outreach and strengthened campus partnerships.