Mark R. Freiermuth

Welcome to my online page!

As of January of 2025, I began my new position as an Associate Professor of TESL for Swinburne University of Technology-Sarawak (Malaysia) as well as retaining my honorary role of a Professor Emeritus of Applied Linguistics for Gunma Prefectural Women's University (2005-2024).

I look forward to teaching graduate students at SUT-S in the upcoming semester.

While at GPWU, I taught International Communication students at GPWU English, discourse analysis and sociolinguistics in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. My seminar focused on those factors that influence linguistic choices which are made by interlocutors. How does the English we use affect our daily lives? How is English really used both inside of the classroom and out in the real world? There are a number of variables which affect choices such as region, background, education and situation.
 
I am also very interested in the psychological underpinnings of second language learners' behaviors. What motivates them? Because we have all become immersed in electronic communication, much of my research has focused on language learner uses of online chatting both in text-based and video-based modes. What are some of the effects that can be tied to communicating online? Are language learners more apt or less apt to be willing to communicate in the target language while online? I am also interested in the discourse that is produced by users while communicating in online environments and in teacher-fronted classrooms. A second area of interest is intercultural competences and how online environments can create opportunities to expand cultural knowledge. I am quite fascinated by how cultural elements are exchanged in second language environments between different groups of language learners. I am always on the lookout for ways technology can be employed to enhance L2 communication. 
 
The book you see to your left, Technology and the Psychology of Second Language Learners and Users, which has been published by Palgrave-Macmillan (Springer-Nature), is an extensive volume investigating various effects that technology has on second language learners and users. It offers a wide-range of topics, providing research from from across the globe. We feel that it is especially relevant in this COVID-19 era. The book you see to your right, Academic Conference Presentations: A Step-by-Step Guide, also published by Palgrave-Macmillan, is a very practical guide--an easy-reading text offering would-be or inexperienced presenters useful tips and suggestions for presenting. It considers an academic presentation as a journey, taking the reader from the moment the idea is conceived all the way to the presentation stage with bits of narrative and a little bit of humor thrown in for good measure. If you are interested in either of the books, please consider buying one or both for personal use or for your library by clicking on the Springer icons. (Springer Link (on the right) will take you to Academic Conference Presentations.) Of course, both books are also available at the major online retail sites as well (Amazon.com, Rakuten, Barnes & Noble, etc.)