Martin Spivey
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martintesol.bsky.social
Martin Spivey
@martintesol.bsky.social
300 followers 250 following 780 posts
MA TESOL. University lecturer of EAP in Japan. Research interests include data-driven learning, corpus-assisted discourse analysis and learner corpora.
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martintesol.bsky.social
What a quite archaic thing to write in 2025.

One of those daughters may never get married. And even if they do, they might keep their maiden name.

AND even if the current owners had sons, they might not want to work in the family business anyway!
November 11, 2025 at 12:46 PM
martintesol.bsky.social
I wish Montedio's PR team the best of luck trying to sell that to the fan base. 😅
September 6, 2025 at 1:10 PM
martintesol.bsky.social
Back in the UK for a few weeks and thought I would share a few sightings of the Yorkshire dialect I've seen out and about. Ey up! #linguisticlandscape #yorkshiredialect
A poster telling people to put their rubbish in the bin, written in the Yorkshire dialect - 'Gerrit in't bin' A scarecrow with the sign 'Eeee...tiz reet grand ter sithi'. This expression in Yorkshire dialect may be translated into standard English as "It's really splendid. See you later!" A scarecrow wearing a flat cap at a table with food and drink on it. A sign shows two white roses with text saying 'Ey up! GOD'S OWN DAY. fancy a brew? by' ek duz this need a pint? be reyt wi haz Wensleydale n' puddin' wy gravy' A flag with a white rose on it. Underneath is a sheet of paper that says ''od thi 'osses ye reyt bobby dazzler'
August 12, 2025 at 10:01 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
It's finally arrived (at Akita International University's Nakajima Library)! Look forward to reading it and will try to finish soon so others get a chance to borrow it. 😅 @eltresearch.bsky.social @grahburton.bsky.social @candlinmynard.bsky.social
Foreground shows the book 'The Big Beasts of English Grammar: An Exploration of Form and Function in Conversations' by Christian Jones and Graham Burton. In the background are bookcases and wooden beams in Akita International University's Nakajima Library.
June 4, 2025 at 5:17 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
Running in the 59th Yurihonjo Cross Country Race (8km) today. Don't start for awhile mind... 😅
Running track and field at Mizubayashi Athletics Ground in Yurihonjo, Akita.
March 23, 2025 at 12:17 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
Another contribution to #linguisticlandscape. This time it's Consadole Sapporo flags and banners at a J2 league away game versus Blaublitz Akita on Sat 15th March 2025. It was quite an impressive display! It's an intriguing mix of languages, colours and images.
A banner in Spanish saying 'la hinchada que nunca abandona', which means 'the fans that never give up' in English. Several flags being held by Consadole Sapporo supporters. One flag is red and black chequered and has an image of the island of Hokkaido in white with 'ALL' written in the middle. Underneath it says 'HOKKAIDO CONSADOLE SAPPORO', also in white. Several banners of the Consadole Sapporo J2 football team, all in English text. One says 'The future is in our hands' and next to it is a banner with U and S and an image of a man between the letters. Next to that is a banner that says 'You and I are gunna live forever'. Another banner says 'Forever US CN' and there is a star between US and CN. At the bottom of the stand there is a long banner that reads 'WE WILL ATTACK IN RED AND BLACK' A Consadole Sapporo banner which states 'BORN IN SAPPORO, LIVE IN SAPPORO, DIE IN SAPPORO'
March 20, 2025 at 3:35 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
FT Montedio Yamagata 4 Blaublitz Akita 2

Shame that we lost but we had a go and the home side were just too strong. At least we saw 6 goals! 😅
A blue and white flag showing the badge of Montedio Yamagata, a J2 football team in Northern Japan. A view of a stadium crowd behind the goal at the ND Soft Stadium in Yamagata, Japan. Mountains partially covered in snow can be seen in the background. A close up of a blue and white striped towel with the letters 'BLAUBLITZ AKITA' back to front. A stadium crowd can be seen in the background.
March 10, 2025 at 11:37 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
Montedio Yamagata vs Blaublitz Akita

9th March 2025

Come on Akita!!!
Sign outside NS Soft Stadium in Yamagata welcoming away supporters. Post box outside NS Soft Stadium in Yamagata wrapped in the football team Montedio Yamagata colours.
March 9, 2025 at 4:43 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
I took this a few weeks ago in Yoyogi Park in Tokyo. Japanese top, English below, under that is Chinese/Korean side by side with image at bottom. #linguisticlandscape
A row of rubbish bins in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo.
March 7, 2025 at 9:44 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
Perhaps now's not the right time to talk to you both about the 'Come Live in Akita' Campaign is it? 🤔 😂
A bench covered in snow in Akita City, Japan. A big pile of snow that's been cleared off a car park in Akita City, Japan.
March 4, 2025 at 2:51 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
Some more pics for #linguisticlandscapes. This time it's a mixture of Japanese, English and images at a railway crossing in Akita City, Japan.
A stop sign warning cars to not cross the railway tracks at a crossing in Akita City, Japan. There is a big 'STOP!' in red above a picture of a car inside a red circle with a line through it. Under that are two big black hands. At the bottom is Japanese text warning that cars (even small ones) can't cross. An emergency button in English and Japanese at a railway crossing in Akita City, Japan. A sign in Japanese and 'SOS' written in English with a long red arrow pointing towards an emergency button at a railway crossing in Akita City, Japan.
March 2, 2025 at 11:41 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
Soooooo I like taking pics of passing trains. 😅 There's a bridge in my area that goes over the river; one path heads over and one under. You can get fairly close!
The front of a train going over a crossing. A local train heading over a bridge above a river. A train in the middle of crossing an old railway bridge in snowy conditions. A close up of a railway bridge crossing lights, signs and emergency button, with a train in the background.
February 22, 2025 at 11:29 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
Foolishly went out for a run in the snow today. 😆
Man in running gear with snow in his hair and lots of snow on the road in the background.
February 19, 2025 at 4:04 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
A wide path leading to a gateway at Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo, with trees on both sides and some people walking along it in the background. A close up of the wall that goes around Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo. There is a small drain and path at the side. A pedestrian bridge with a bright lamp post on in the evening, taken near Yoyogi Park in Shibuya, Tokyo. A train passes a crossing in the evening near Sangubashi Station in Shibuya, Tokyo.
February 17, 2025 at 6:20 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
Last weekend I was in Tokyo for a business meeting. Took my camera along to take a few snaps.
Sky scrapers and neon shop signs in Shinjuku, Tokyo Close up of a shop sign in Shinjuku, Tokyo showing a pair of bright red lips with front teeth gripping a small ball labelled 'ALADDIN' Close up of the exteriors of two skyscrapers in Shinjuku, Tokyo A gateway at Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo, with tourists milling around close by.
February 17, 2025 at 6:10 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
To begin with, I have two bus stop signs on opposite sides of the street. Spot the difference? The older sign uses ROMAJI (the Japanese version of the roman alphabet) under the KANJI characters. The newer sign uses a more updated version similar to the English alphabet.
January 23, 2025 at 10:01 PM
martintesol.bsky.social
Respect to anybody who would attempt to break this rule right now. 😂
A No Skateboarding sign behind a huge pile of snow on a Japanese university campus.
January 2, 2025 at 2:30 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful 2025. My aim is to get some research projects finished and written up! 💪🏻😅 Will also take part in a few 10k runs.
Lake Tazawako in Senboku, Akita Prefecture. The sun is reflecting off the water's surface. There are several white clouds in a blue sky and mountains can be seen in the distance.
January 1, 2025 at 12:16 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
Akita International University, Dec 2024
December 29, 2024 at 10:36 PM
martintesol.bsky.social
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! Photos of Akita City I took on my morning walk today.
A train crossing a bridge over a river in Akita City. Two train carriages with a Namahage wrap in Akita City. Snow on the banks of a river going through Akita City. Footprints in the snow on a riverside path in Akita City.
December 25, 2024 at 4:49 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
Interested in using (SIMPLE & FREE!) online corpus tools with EFL students at high school/uni? I'm giving a talk this SUN 27TH OCT at 19:00(Japan)/11:00(UK). Sign up here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Hope to see you there! #ddl #corpora #corpustools #efl
October 24, 2024 at 8:59 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
Lovely! I took this at Lake Tazawa in Akita Prefecture, Japan in 2020.
September 29, 2024 at 10:57 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #1,276,664!
September 18, 2024 at 1:36 PM
martintesol.bsky.social
Read these two paragraphs and tell me which view anti-doping authorities differed from. It's confusing, right? 🤔 😅
December 20, 2023 at 2:52 AM
martintesol.bsky.social
Ginger decided to rest his head on my leg. 😍😅
November 2, 2023 at 5:38 AM