Martin Spivey

Assistant Professor,
Akita University

I came to Japan after graduating from Lancaster University in the UK in 2005. I was an ALT on the JET Programme in a small town in Shimane Prefecture before moving to Aizu-Wakamatsu in Fukushima to work in a small private language school. 

In 2011, I opened my own English school in Akita City and have been here ever since. I have participated in several JALT Akita meetings over the years and was delighted to give my first presentation in 2021 on investigating corrective feedback in the ELT classroom as a novice researcher. In December 2022, I completed an MA (Merit) in TESOL from the University of Birmingham. My dissertation investigated young learner perceptions and attitudes towards the use of corpus-based EFL activities. Since September 2025, I am Assistant Professor in the Faculty of International Resource Sciences at Akita University.

The members of JALT Akita are part of a close-knit community that seek to support each other in our professional development goals. As Treasurer, I help ensure that the chapter is in a strong financial position to hold regular events and support our members at present as well as in the future. 

Treasurer, 2024 ~ present

Membership Chair, 2022 ~ 2026

Webmaster, 2023

Social Media Chair, 2022 ~ 2023