Season Two:
2026
#201 - July 22nd - Chris Haswell (Kyushu University)
#202 - August 5th - Edgar A. Porter (Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University)
#203 - August 19th - Ute Römer-Barron (Georgia State University)
#204 - September 2nd - Andrew Johnstone (University of Glasgow)
#205 - September 16th - Chris Nicklin (Temple University)
#206 - September 30th - Andrew Hall (Kyushu University)
#207 - October 14th - Du Yingjing; Tu Mengwei (Waseda University; Swansea University)
#208 - October 28th - Robert Stroud (Hosei University)
#209 - November 11th - Li Xiaoyan (Kyushu University)
#210 -
Chris Haswell (Kyushu University)
Haswell, C. G. (2025). Using Podcast Interviews
as a Source of Qualitative Investigation.
Ethics International Press: Cambridge
Overview:
In this podcast episode, Sean O'Dwyer interviews Associate Professor Christopher Haswell about his book "Lost in Citations," which uses podcast interviews as a source of qualitative investigation. The project, which began in 2015, has amassed 208 interviews with researchers, educators, and writers from diverse fields. Haswell highlights the podcast's unique ability to humanize academic voices and provide a platform for in-depth discussions. He discusses the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the project, the use of grounded theory in qualitative analysis, and the importance of overcoming imposter syndrome in academic writing. The podcast has seen significant success, with over 65,000 downloads.
Keywords:
Podcast interviews, qualitative investigation, academic project, loss and citations, humanizing element, conference presentations, psychological impact, grounded theory, register analysis, academic communication, research and publishing, imposter syndrome, networking, international collaboration, podcast success.
Edgar A. Porter (Ritsumeikan APU)
Porter, E. A. (2026). Calvin to Mao and beyond:
A memoir. Kamuela: Deuxmers.
Overview:
Edgar Porter, an emeritus professor from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, discusses his memoir "Calvin to Mao and Beyond." Porter reflects on his journey from the Jim Crow South to international education, influenced by his experiences in China and his involvement in Marxist movements. He emphasizes the importance of personal history and thematic storytelling in memoirs, contrasting them with autobiographies. Porter highlights the importance of justice, equality, and how ideologies shape societal structures. He also shares insights on the evolution of his beliefs, from Calvinist theology to Marxism, and the value of self-authoring for personal growth and historical understanding.
Keywords:
memoir, Calvin to Mao, Edgar Porter, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, intercultural communication, oral history, family archives, justice, Marxism, China, Cultural Revolution, international education, globalization, self-authoring
Ute Römer-Barron (Georgia State University)
Römer-Barron, U. (2024). How do constructions
with modal verbs develop in second language
learners of English? Journal of Second Language
Studies, 7(2), 198–226.
Overview:
Dr. Ute Römer-Barron, a professor at Georgia State University, discusses her research on how second-language learners of English develop modal verb constructions. She explains her transition from Germany to the University of Michigan, where she managed the Michigan Corpus of Upper-level Student Papers (MICUSP). Her paper, published in the Journal of Second Language Studies, compares L1 German and Spanish learners' use of modal constructions and finds higher frequencies in German learners. She highlights the importance of transparency in terminology and the potential for pedagogical applications. Dr. Barron also mentions ongoing projects on high-frequency verbs and early language development.
Keywords:
Corpus linguistics, second language learners, modal verbs, construction grammar, Michigan Corpus, academic writing, learner data, proficiency levels, reference corpus, pedagogical materials, verb argument constructions, frequency information, research monograph, usage-based approach, language acquisition.
Andrew Johnstone (University of Glasgow)
Johnstone, A. (Host). (2025, February 18).
How did Hello Kitty help fight the rise of
underage escort services? [Audio podcast episode].
https://www.patreon.com/SeeminglyUnrelated/posts/how-did-hello-of-122463678
Overview:
Andrew Johnstone, a lecturer at the University of Glasgow, discusses his podcast "Seemingly Unrelated," which explores connections between seemingly disparate topics. In the episode "How did Hello Kitty help fight the rise of underage escort services?" Johnstone delves into the historical and social contexts of these issues. He emphasizes the importance of grounded theory and narrative building in his research. Johnstone also highlights the practical considerations of podcast production, such as time constraints and audience engagement. He notes that while some episodes are more serious, others are designed to be engaging and thought-provoking, challenging listeners' perspectives on various social constructs.
Keywords:
Podcasting, media culture, dialectical deep dives, historical documents, research skills, grounded theory, narrative building, audience engagement, social constructs, gender norms, podcast planning, academic research.
Episode #205:
Chris Nicklin (Temple University)
Nicklin, C., McLean, S., & Vitta, J. P. (2026). Contrasting
fixed‐ and mixed‐effects modeling in vocabulary research:
Reanalyzing Laufer (2024) and McLean et al. (2020).
Language Learning, 76(1), 211–248.
https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12715
Episode Blog
Overview:
Chris Cooper interviews Dr. Christopher Nicklin, Assistant Professor at Temple University, Japan, about his new role and recent collaborations. Nicklin discusses his co-authored book on statistics in second language research, which introduces JASP and mixed-effects models. He explains the importance of mixed-effects models in vocabulary research, noting their ability to account for person and item variance and produce smaller effect sizes. Nicklin emphasizes the need for replication studies and collaboration, sharing insights on how to justify replications and the benefits of multi-site samples. He also highlights the importance of extensive reading and the challenges of securing research funding.
Keywords:
Temple University, mixed effects models, vocabulary research, fixed effects, replication studies, collaboration, second language research, statistics, R programming, JASP, AI in programming, research productivity, data analysis, linguistic distance, generalizability.
