Marcus Grandon Products

I've been teaching at the tertiary level in Japan for 30 years. My teaching specializes in English instruction through multimedia, speaking skills, TOEFL, and writing. I have also instructed on comparative culture with a focus on the USA and Asia. My main research interests focus on 1) language development through the relationships between visual imagery and the skill of EFL speaking in university classrooms, 2) materials use, and 3) analysis of discourse.

I completed my PhD in Applied Linguistics at Aston University with the thesis entitled Exploring the use of video-based materials in the Japanese university English language classroom. My education also includes a B.Sc. in Business Administration from Central Michigan University, an M.A. in Humanities from California State University, Dominguez Hills where my dissertation centered on the study and practice of aikido in Japan, and a postgraduate certificate from the University of Michigan in Online Instruction.

In addition, my work in multimedia production has been recognized with grants and awards. Other areas of interest include multimodality, communication strategies, metalinguistic awareness and the Feldenkrais Method. I have founded several international societies, am an active member of TESOL, JALT, and CALICO, and founded and served as director DREAM.lab at Nihon University in Mishima, Japan for three years.

MA Dissertation Supervision (University of Birmingham)

Awarded Distinction = 9 Awarded Merit = 9 Awarded Pass = 7

1. Kambe, Y. (2020) Analysis of washback effects of revised senior high school curriculum guidelines in Japan.

2. Marwood, W. (2020) Is reflective practice beneficial for Korean adult learners?

3. Pirotto, C. (2020) A comparison of the expectations and realities of a short-term study abroad program.

4. Walsh, D. (2020) To what extent can students' writing skills be improved in an EAP course lasting one term?

5. Voon, Y.L. (2020) To what extent does the use of the L1 in the classroom support or inhibit the acquisition of English as the L2.

6. Chung King Chung, B. (2021) Parliamentary debate in the Japanese EFL classroom: An investigation of high school students’ attitudes and abilities.

7. McBean, M. (2021) Examining the role of motivation among EFL learners in the Japanese senior high school classroom.

8. Walsh, D. (2021) Exploring the immersion classroom at a Japanese junior high school through pedagogic techniques.

9. Cleary, S. (2022) Exploring the usage of vocabulary notebooks.

10. Eldred, T. (2022) Exploring self-regulation theory in a Japanese high school EMI (English-medium instruction) course.

11. Jackson, R. (2022) L2 writing accuracy: A quantitative investigation into the learning outcomes of using ‘specialized’ written corrective feedback in a Japanese university EFL context.

12. Clark, E. (2022) ‘This is not about English; it’s about culture’ Migrant ELT perspectives on the international and national in the Japanese university classroom.

13. Allen, B. (2022) Opportunities and challenges in adjusting to the new 'kantenbetsu' evaluation system.

14. Hardy, J. (2022) Exploring student motivation and implementing weak-task based language learning in the contemporary English foreign language classroom.

15. Otto, H. (2022) Teachers’ and students’ perceptions of motivational teaching strategies in a South Korean elementary context.

16. Chan Ka Man, C. (2022) Impact of the use of information and communication technology (ICT) on the motivation of second language learning during the Covid-19 pandemic: A qualitative study of young learners in Hong Kong.

17. Hull, T. (2023) An analysis of the changes to the Japanese university English listening test and the impact on commercially available textbooks

18. Wing Chun Toby, N. (2023) Constructing the truth: Thematic analysis of courtroom examination in criminal trials

19. Muslim, F. (2023) Analysis of student writing errors from a preparatory year in a Saudi university

20. Wolf, A. (2023) The role of the L1 at an eikaiwa: Preferences of adult learners and instructors

21. Livermore, A. (2023) Framing climate change: Multimodal discourse analysis of news discourse on the release of the 6th IPCC Report

22. Suzuki, H. (2024) Universal Design for learning and ways teachers cope with a changing learner population.

23. Todd, K. (2024) Exploring foreign language anxiety in the Japanese university classrooms.

24. Schilt, L. (2024) Learners of Dutch as a second language in virtual, one-to-one conversation classes: Motivation, engagement and perception.

25. Budanov, A. (2024) Communicative English for Specific Purposes for vocational engineering students: needs analysis and materials development.

26. (In progress) From body to words: Nonverbal communication in native Japanese speakers and its relation to learning English as a second language.

27. (In progress) The concept of error and its importance for research and educational process.

28. (In progress) Cultural metaphors through a Thai novel, ‘Happiness of Kati’ by Jane Vejjajiva. Translated by Prudence Borthwick.

MA Module Tutoring (University of Birmingham)

Currently: 16 tutees