Siying Shen
- Email: ed17s2s@leeds.ac.uk
- Thesis title: A longitudinal study of learning engagement in UK undergraduate students of Mandarin
- Supervisors: Dr Martin Lamb, Dr Diana Mazgutova, Dr Clare Wright
Profile
I received a BA in English (Education) from the Fujian Normal University and then a MA in TESOL Studies from the University of Leeds. Before returning to Leeds as a postgraduate researcher, I taught in the department of English at the Fuzhou University of International Studies and Trade, where I also coached students for national English public speaking contests such as FLTRP·ETIC Cup in China.
Research interests
My doctoral project explores language learning engagement in the context of Mandarin Chinese learning in UK higher education. I have applied a longitudinal qualitative approach that documents how Anglophone learners’ language engagement interact with their immediate learning environment (e.g. linguistic, social level), as well as factors that are more distant from the proximal context, including their past experiences and future aspirations in relation to Mandarin and multilingualism/multiculturalism. By unpacking the Chinese learning journeys, I hope to gather the voices from these multilingual individuals and understand how their autonomy can be best supported, particularly those whose experiences are relatively underrepresented in the field of Language Education.
Qualifications
- MA TESOL Studies (Distinction)
- BA English
- CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)