Yuko Yamashita continues to encourage us

Author: Dr. Yoshitaka Nakajima (Fukuoka, Aug. 15th, 2023)

Almost one thousand days have passed since our colleague, Yuko Yamashitaʼs, passing. On the one hundredth day since Yukoʼs farewell, in April, 2021, her family, relatives, friends, and coworkers met in a Buddhist ceremony held in a quiet temple in Fukuoka. This intended to bring our sadness to an end, and, indeed, it is no longer time to shed tears.

Yuko and I met for the last time when Fechner Day 2019 was held in Antalya, Turkey, and Yuko gave an impressive talk on analyses of public speaking in a theme session “Psychophysics of Language,” which I organized. Yuko and I were able to share a condensed time there in a gorgeous lecture hall with flags of Turkey and Akdeniz University. She looked happy with students and colleagues when we had dinner together after this session in a beautiful open-air restaurant on a cliff facing the Mediterranean. We occasionally felt a soft autumn breeze after the sunset. Yuko must have experienced happiness deep in her mind, and I am glad that a Fechner Day meeting offered this occasion. Although she joined Fechner Day meetings just twice, in 2017 (in Fukuoka) and in 2019, she kept contact with society members, and many of them will remember her.

Yuko Yamashita received higher education, aiming to be an English teacher, at Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka – her hometown – and at Sydney University. Her experience in Sydney promoted her interest in perception and cognition as a basis for language. After returning to Fukuoka, she decided to visit me, looking for an opportunity to research in speech science as a PhD student. This was in 2010. I was glad that she wished to work with me; she worked hard, and received her PhD at Kyushu University in 2013. The topic of her thesis was whether and how Japanese-learning and English-learning infants develop speech rhythm differently. She was teaching English in some places, and I used to see her analyzing data and writing her thesis in my lab after her heavy teaching duties. Her determination was strong and clear, and perhaps few people know this part of her character.

Yuko was appointed assistant professor at Kyushu University in 2014, moved to Shibaura Institute of Technology (a top private university specialized in technology) as assistant professor in 2016. She was promoted to associate professor in 2019, and stayed in this position until the end of 2020. She liked teaching English, which occupied an important part of her professional life as she wished when she was a student. Many of her publications are about English education. She was especially interested in improving studentsʼ ability in public speaking, and she sought for an evidence-based method for her classes. Her first step was to record and analyze various types of speech systematically, including infantsʼ babblings and studentsʼ speech performances in English competitions. In the end, she was only allowed to take this first step, but it was a great step.

Yuko left an enormous amount of recorded speech samples. I was actively involved in collecting utterings of Japanese-, English-, and Chinese-learning infants in natural environments. Analyses of these speech samples were on the way but stopped suddenly. Many parts of Yukoʼs scientific contribution are still in our hands waiting to be reported in public. This makes my retirement life busier, but I should appreciate it. I sometimes feel I could reply to one of her email messages asking technical details and her opinions.

Yuko was remarkably kind to young researchers and students. She encouraged and helped them when they are in need. If she was not able to answer a question, she shared the question, and tried to find someone who could give an answer. When one of her students turned out not to be interested in English, she tried to create a new research field unrelated to English. Those young people were thus able to collect valuable data, write theses and papers, and enjoy life between busy periods. They will love Yuko forever. The Yuko Yamashita Award, for the best poster presentation by a young researcher, shall represent such spirit of Yuko. The prize only goes to one person, but Yuko must be encouraging all serious young researchers here in Assisi, Italy.

I heard that Mark Elliott, a member of the ISP , who assists in organizing this meeting, and who was a friend and had worked with Yuko for several years both in scientific research and in English education, thought that her commitment to science deserves the honor to put her name to this prize. All of the ISP executive committee agreed with him. As Yukoʼs closest scientific advisor, and friend, I also agree. The prize with her name will show her family members and friends that she is still active with colleagues and students. For Yuko, who cares a lot about people close to her, this is a tremendous gift.

Dear Yuko, your beautifully woven life is over. We just have to collect pieces of memories in which you appear with a big smile. We will be talking about you, smiling, laughing, and sometimes with tears. We will try our best to take over things you were not allowed to finish. Please continue to encourage young, and not young, people, wherever you are.