Algirdas Makarevicius. Reflections on Research
My Reflections on Research
Over the course of my academic career, research has been both a central professional commitment and a guiding intellectual curiosity. I have pursued investigation across multiple areas of applied linguistics, English education, and cross-cultural communication, consistently seeking to connect theory with classroom practice and evidence-based instructional improvement. My work has resulted in peer-reviewed research papers, international conference presentations, and course books, contributing to scholarly conversations in English language teaching, media discourse, and educational development.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my research experience has involved supervising undergraduate and postgraduate research projects in English education and applied linguistics. In these roles, I guided students in designing studies, formulating research questions, collecting and analyzing data, and reporting findings in academic formats. This supervision has allowed me to mentor young researchers, support academic integrity, and promote rigorous methodological standards.
My research has consistently informed my teaching. I have revised course materials, enhanced assessment rubrics, and refined learning outcomes based on research findings from classroom observations, student data, and institutional needs. Curriculum improvement is an ongoing research process grounded in reflection, feedback, and measurable results.
I have studied language, cross-cultural communication, and cultural pragmatics in various international contexts, recognizing that meaning is shaped by social systems, cultural norms, and contextual expectations rather than by linguistic forms alone. This work encompasses comparative discourse analysis across genres, with a specific focus on media texts. I have investigated the compositional and semantic structures of feature articles, news reports, editorials, and advertisements, focusing on how linguistic and stylistic choices shape meaning, persuasion, and reader perception.
I have also conducted action research centered on student motivation, learning strategies, and classroom engagement in EFL contexts. These projects have helped me identify practical solutions to common learning challenges and evaluate the impact of instructional interventions in real time. This work has deepened my understanding of how culture, context, and learner background shape educational outcomes and communicative competence.
Teaching research methods has been a consistent theme throughout my academic career. I have taught courses such as Methods of Scientific Research and Development, Writing a Research Paper, English for Academic and Research Purposes, Writing for Research Purposes, Introduction to Social Science, Report Writing Skills, and Research Methods. Through these courses, I have helped students develop skills in academic writing, research design, critical analysis, argumentation, and evidence-based inquiry.
Collectively, these experiences have shaped my perspective on research as a dynamic, cyclical, and socially situated process. Solid research is guided by questions that matter, grounded in reliable data, and presented in a way that informs policy, teaching practice, and professional development. Most importantly, I view research as a collaborative endeavor—driven by curiosity, sustained by rigorous methods, and enriched by diverse cultural and intellectual perspectives.
Algirdas Makarevicius. Summary of Research and Academic Experience
Throughout his career, Dr. Algirdas Makarevicius has engaged in a wide range of scholarly, supervisory, and instructional activities in English education, applied linguistics, and cross-cultural communication. His academic output includes research papers, course books, and presentations at international conferences, where he has contributed findings on language use, media discourse, cultural pragmatics, and English language pedagogy. These experiences have strengthened his ability to communicate research outcomes to scholarly audiences, develop teaching resources, and participate in academic discussions with colleagues from diverse educational and cultural contexts.
He has supervised final-year undergraduate and master’s research projects on topics related to English language teaching, pragmatics, corpus linguistics, intercultural communication, and classroom practice. In this role, Dr. Makarevicius has guided students through all stages of the research process, including topic selection, literature review, research design, data collection, analysis, and academic writing. This supervisory experience has enabled him to foster research literacy, encourage critical inquiry, and promote high academic standards among graduating students.
Research has consistently informed his teaching. Dr. Makarevicius has revised and improved multiple courses by updating instructional materials, enhancing assessments, and aligning learning outcomes with current research in applied linguistics and educational methodology. By systematically evaluating student performance data, survey responses, and feedback results, he has implemented meaningful curricular modifications that support student engagement, improve learning outcomes, and strengthen academic quality assurance.
A significant portion of his scholarly work has focused on language, cross-cultural communication, and cultural pragmatics. Dr. Makarevicius has studied how culture influences meaning, politeness, communicative expectations, and discourse strategies in multilingual environments. His investigations in this area include research on intercultural misunderstandings, pragmatic transfer, politeness norms, and the impact of cultural context on language learning and language use in academic and professional settings.
His research background also includes the analysis of text structure, genre, and style, particularly in media language. Dr. Makarevicius has examined the compositional and semantic patterns of different journalistic genres, including feature articles, editorials, news stories, and advertisements. This work has enhanced his understanding of how language functions in authentic communication and informed his development of genre-based teaching materials for EFL/ESP classrooms.
In addition, he has conducted action research on student motivation and classroom learning in EFL contexts. These studies involved identifying specific teaching challenges, designing small-scale interventions, collecting classroom data, and implementing targeted strategies to enhance student participation, confidence, and communicative competence. The results of these projects have contributed to a more responsive and learner-centered approach to language teaching.
His interest in the role of culture and context in language teaching has influenced both his research and pedagogical practice. Dr. Makarevicius emphasizes culturally informed curriculum design, authentic learning tasks, and context-sensitive teaching methods. This perspective has been especially valuable in multinational classroom environments where students bring diverse linguistic backgrounds and learning expectations.
Throughout his career, Dr. Algirdas Makarevicius has taught multiple courses related to research and academic literacy, including Methods of Scientific Research and Development, Writing a Research Paper, English for Academic and Research Purposes, Writing for Research Purposes, Introduction to Social Science, Report Writing Skills, and Research Methods. These courses have allowed him to train students in academic writing, research analysis, citation practices, data handling, presentation skills, and the principles of empirical inquiry.
Taken together, these experiences demonstrate Dr. Makarevicius’s commitment to combining rigorous research with innovative practical teaching. He continues to explore the intersection of linguistic research, cultural understanding, and pedagogical effectiveness, while supporting learners and researchers in developing the analytical, communicative, and academic skills necessary for success in educational and professional contexts.
Algirdas Makarevicius. Research Qualifications
Ph.D., English Linguistics
Dissertation: The Feature Article as a Genre of English Newspapers (lingo-stylistic aspect)
Ph.D., English Linguistics
Dissertation: The Feature Article as a Genre of English Newspapers (lingo-stylistic aspect)