Jieyu Zhou, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Asian Languages & Literature, has been awarded a Graduate Student Research Grant from the National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations (NFMLTA) and the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL). The grant, which includes a $2,500 award, supports graduate student research in the fields of applied linguistics and language education, with an emphasis on less commonly taught languages.
Under the guidance of Prof. Chan Lü, Jieyu’s study explores the challenges that native English speakers encounter with formal Chinese expressions, specifically examining a crucial type of collocations used in formal contexts like academia and professional communications. Her research delves into how learners of Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) comprehend these collocations, assesses the influence of textbook content, and evaluates the effectiveness of explicit instruction. Through her project, Jieyu aims to enhance CSL pedagogy by providing deeper insights into the acquisition and instruction of formal collocations. Her work promises to enrich curriculum design and teaching strategies, and to contribute valuable new data from non-European languages that support existing theoretical frameworks in language education.
Congratulations, Jieyu!