Dr. Fusae Ivarsson

Biography

Fusae Ivarsson earned a B.A. in Japanese from the International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan, an M.A. in Applied Linguistics from the University of Essex, and received a Ph.D. from the University of Gothenburg in 2016. Her doctoral research explores the L2 Kanji learning process, focusing on reading and writing errors made by Swedish learners compared to those made by level-matched Japanese schoolchildren. Currently, her research primarily focuses on 'yakuwarigo', which investigates linguistic features used in fiction to express character types, social roles, and cultural stereotypes. Recent projects include analyses of speech styles in Japanese fictional works, comparative analyses of English and Swedish translations, studies of orthographic variation, and investigating the effectiveness of generative AI tools in Japanese writing instruction. Since 1997, she has taught Japanese at the University of Gothenburg across various proficiency levels, emphasizing writing systems, composition, translation, grammar, and reading comprehension. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she regularly supervises bachelor’s and master’s theses.

Research Interests