Eiko Yasui is interested in the body movements we make in interaction. How and when do we make these movements, and what do they mean? How does a language play a role in understanding them? She is particularly intrigued by how the grammatical structure of various languages can influence how we respond to others and move our bodies.
Her interest in grammar started when she read a paper showing how grammar affects how early we can understand other’s utterances. Grammatically speaking, in the Japanese language, you must listen till the end of a sentence to understand whether it is a statement, a question, a direction, etc. In European languages, such as English and Swedish, it is often possible to understand this at the start of the sentence.
"It is fascinating to me that the grammatical structure of a sentence can influence our interaction. It is not about being polite or aggressive – it is the grammar that makes people either listen until the end of a speaker’s utterance, or react early and finish the speaker’s sentence."
"Her research on grammar and body movements in dance instructions has inspired me. Body movements and language complement each other in dance instructions. It’s interesting to see how differences in grammar affect when the body movements occur and in what ways."
Eiko Yasui and her family have been in Sweden for about a year, and she finds it amazing here. Both work and private life are different from Japan. She appreciates that family life is highly valued in Sweden, with generous vacation weeks and that one can pick up the children from preschool in the early afternoon.
"We do not take ‘fika’ in Japan; you would be called lazy and uncommitted to your job if you take a long coffee break. I usually drink coffee at my desk alone. Here, breaks are a natural part of the work culture, and I will miss the conversations and the spontaneous meetings that occur during breaks. Some of the conversations at coffee breaks and lunches have led to great exchanges, and even some new research ideas."
At the end of March, she will leave Sweden and return to Japan. She will continue to collaborate with her new research colleagues here, both in LiU projects and in her own projects at Nagoya University.
