Ryan F Lidster

I am originally from Vancouver, BC, Canada, but grew up all over North America, before going to Japan after undergraduate work and coming back to the US for my PhD. My main passions are language learning and teaching, and my research broadly looks at three interrelated areas: second language acquisition and in particular the acquisition of second language (L2) phonology in Japanese; language assessment and psychometrics, or the study of how language ability is measured and how those measurements are used to make decisions about language learners; and the application of theoretical and empirical findings in L2 pedagogy and language teaching, especially with respect to L2 Japanese.

Education

PhD in Second Language Studies, Indiana University
MA in TESOL & Applied Linguistics, Indiana University
BA in Foreign Languages & Literatures, Lewis & Clark College

Specialization in Teaching

I focus on second language Japanese and oracy skills in applied linguistics, but in the classroom, I focus primarily on active learning strategies and methods for having students engage with the material such that they can explain it themselves. For Japanese specifically, I focus on integration between various aspects of language proficiency and intercultural competence, with particular attention to how knowledge of material and non-material culture can expand access to texts and increase depth of engagement.

Research Interests

Second language acquisition (SLA), L2 Japanese, language assessment, validity argumentation, Item Response Theory (IRT), models of listening ability and the mental lexicon, L2 phonology, phonological development, post-method language pedagogy

Community Engagement

In collaboration with the Japan Club and several other units on campus including Music, Art & Art History, Physics, and the Office of International Students & Scholars, the Japanese Program at UNCW puts on several annual events aimed at intercultural exchange, including the Moon-Viewing Festival (お月見), Sports Day, Setsubun (節分), Girls' Day (雛祭り), and many others. I also regularly offer classes on Japan and Japanese for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).

Honors & Awards

Best Early Career Research Presentation, International Congress of Linguists, Poznań, Poland (2024)
Spencer Foundation ($50,000) Small Research Grant Award Recipient, (2023)
High Impact Practices Applied Pedagogy Award, UNCW (2023)
Teacher of the Year, Marshall University (2021)
Excellence in Instruction, Hamilton-Lugar School of Global and International Studies, Summer Language Workshop (Japanese) (2020)