Julian Chen | Curtin University (original) (raw)

Papers by Julian Chen

Diversity & Inclusion Research, 2025

There is significant pressure on translingual communities, who draw upon and blend all the lingui... more There is significant pressure on translingual communities, who draw upon and blend all the linguistic and semiotic resources with which they have come into contact (i.e., language, material objects, the built environment) to navigate linguistically inaccessible infrastructures in their new setting. We examined the role language plays within one Local Government Area
(LGA) in Western Australia via a larger Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) project; re‐visiting the politics of resourcefulness and focusing on examples of linguistic privileging and linguistic invisibility.The overall study included an initial needs analysis survey which enabled critical conversations around identified problems. These were further unpacked through data collected via interviews/focus groups; shadowing community leaders and LGA/not‐for‐profit employees in their contexts. This offered opportunities to document how stakeholders navigated or resolved known problems. The data was analysed iteratively and thematically to inform and expand conversations around potential collaborative efforts.This article focuses on
the analysis of interview and focus group data in one LGA which highlighted systematised linguistic privileging of individuals who speak certain forms of English, and the rendering of community languages as invisible by the system. In response communities created resourceful spaces where collaborative semiosis licensed collective meaning making through the community's full spatial and translingual resources, enabling access to resources, utilisation of community‐generated skills, sharing of local knowledge and fostering of recognition for individuals as agents in civic life, countering the linguistic invisibility they experienced.For institutions, such as LGAs, to catch up with communities, they need to recognise and sustain community translingualism as an essential resource. Our article outlines a viable framework for dismantling linguistic privileging and invisibility in favour of sharing language responsibility with translingual communities.

CoDesign, 2024

In this article, we centre critical collaborative autoethnography (CCAE) as an embedded part of a... more In this article, we centre critical collaborative autoethnography (CCAE) as an embedded part of a longitudinal Critical Participatory Action Research study that focused on co-designing a community-driven engagement framework in one Local Government Area (LGA) in Western Australia. The study included new migrant communities, LGA staff, not-for-profit staff, and one university research team. We use CCAE to examine instances that perpetuated systems of power by fracturing belonging, agency, and ethical co-design, even though actors within these systems held inclusive intentions. By examining these instances as tensions in our project, we show how CCAE
became a way for us (the researchers) to better understand what is required to engage in the proactive work of bringing people together, brokering understandings of power, and disrupting patterns that perpetuated institutional and community bordering. We argue that successful co-design with new migrant communities relies on continuous and reflective co-learning across stakeholder groups.

Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 2024

This Special Issue, Decolonizing or recolonizing? AI through the eyes of applied linguists, langu... more This Special Issue, Decolonizing or recolonizing? AI through the eyes of applied linguists, language teachers, and language learners, includes articles from both sides of the argument, namely, those authors who see the use of AI as emancipatory for learners and those who see it as potentially reinforcing the power and equity divides between the Global North and the Global South. It seeks to showcase novel and critical points of view, experiences and empirical findings from language teaching practitioners as well as applied linguists, and presents articles underpinned by a variety of conceptual frameworks and innovative methodologies. In this way it aims to fill the gap in the literature on the impact of AI on language learning and teaching from the perspective of power and colonization. While many authors have discussed the practical challenges and dangers of using
AI in academic or educational contexts, and many more have welcomed the benefits that using AI can bring to these contexts in terms of time-saving and creativity, few have delved into the socio-political implications of AI and its role in either decolonizing our language education contexts or further propping up colonization in a new guise.

Axon: Creative Explorations, 2024

Drag queen storytime (DQS), also known as drag (queen) story-hour, has been implemented in select... more Drag queen storytime (DQS), also known as drag (queen) story-hour, has been implemented in selected libraries and schools across North America, Oceania, and the United Kingdom, to open safe spaces for drag queens to read children's books that may involve LGBTQA+ characters or subject matters. Unfortunately, despite its popularity with many children and families, DQS has faced intense public protests regarding the perceived LGBTQA+ themed texts, and violent threats against the performers and organisers. Underpinned by queer, transgender, and feminist theory as well as intersectionality, this creative essay probes the current affairs of DQS as it relates to LGBTQA+ human rights. As a platform to highlight LGBTQA+ digital, visual, and print texts, this essay channels the authors' 'inner drags' and draws on queer narrative inquiry to critically reflect and face our own fear and vulnerability in professional and queer undertaking. Using a recent DQS incident as a case in point, we demonstrate how unleashing our inner queerness through drag can empower us as queer academics and allies to counter 'dragphobia' and celebrate gender and sexuality diversity. This creative work aspires to provide provocations for further exploration of queer inclusivity across social, cultural, and political intersections, with the intent to promote LGBTQA+ inclusive practices.

International Journal of Applied Linguistics

For emerging researchers, communities of practice (CoPs) can be a much-needed source of knowledge... more For emerging researchers, communities of practice (CoPs) can be a much-needed source of knowledge and support, particularly during a global pandemic. Within this context, a virtual CoP (VCoP) project was initiated for novice researchers in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)/Applied Linguistics worldwide to exchange perspectives and academic knowledge. Guided by netnography, our study explores the social, cultural, and professional practices of VCoP through multiple digital sources, such as webinar recordings, Facebook group posts, reflective journal entries, and one-on-one interview. The triangulated data aims to examine the effects of virtual mentorship on the agency, engagement, and identity construction of an emerging researcher. Findings illustrate that a VCoP facilitates international networking, fosters the repositioning of ESOL researcher identity, and promotes agency through virtual mentoring. Specifically, netnography opens a viable avenue for remote data mining in Applied Linguistics research.

Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 2024

This study critically interrogates dominant discourses and practices in school settings, which re... more This study critically interrogates dominant discourses and practices in school settings, which reveal the legitimisation and perpetuation of a monolingual mindset. Through the lens of ‘Critical Multilingual Language Awareness’ (CMLA), this research unpacked the experiences and practices of language teachers who implement the New South Wales (NSW) mandated language curriculum and, where possible, create opportunities for adjustments to language syllabi for greater awareness of diversity and plurilingualism. Data was gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews with four high-school language teachers at independent schools in NSW, Australia. The interview addressed teachers’ proficiency and knowledge of subject matter, their views of the (im)possibilities of the NSW language curriculum for developing plurilingual learners, and perceived challenges that appear to prevent multi/plurilingualism from being at the forefront of Australian language education. Findings revealed that despite teachers’ strong commitment to languages education, they feel discouraged about the limited focus at national and State government levels on consistent and systematic multilingual education. This not only diminishes every effort made by teachers to transform pedagogies for pedagogies for multilingualism but also legitimises a dominant underlying rhetoric of monolingualism that does not adhere to the principles of educating for democratic citizenship.

Language Learning & Technology, 2024

Technological advancement has enabled language learners to employ verbal and nonverbal cues in co... more Technological advancement has enabled language learners to employ verbal and nonverbal cues in computer-mediated communication (CMC). These cues can support language use for learners wishing to communicate more effectively in English. Interactive alignment is one phenomenon that shows how humans tend to collaborate in their language use by adapting, priming, and reusing verbal and nonverbal cues to achieve mutual understanding. Informed by a sociocognitive framework, this study explored and documented English language learners' multimodal interactive alignment during their CMC task engagement through Instagram. We collected data from 30 first-year Indonesian business school learners who participated in seven online CMC tasks using Instagram chat features: text chat, voice chat, and video chat. To examine various interactive alignments (e.g., how interlocutors adapt, prime, and reuse verbal and nonverbal cues to achieve mutual understanding) that occurred during multimodal task communication, we employed multimodal (inter)action analysis. Findings revealed that learners adapted and reused various nonverbal features (e.g., emojis, GIFs, facial expressions, gestures) and verbal cues (e.g., expression, lexical) to convey and comprehend meaning during CMC task completion. Caveats about using various nonverbal alignment patterns for supporting better English online communication were also noted. The study highlights how language learners use the full repertoire of semiotic resources in CMC to maximize their online language learning.

Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2024

Netnography, a qualitative research approach, entails observing, analysing, and interpreting onli... more Netnography, a qualitative research approach, entails observing, analysing, and interpreting online data. This netnography explores how teacher agency, emotion regulation, and professional identity were enacted by a novice Chinese language teacher in response to emergency remote teaching (ERT) in Australia amid the global pandemic. Ecologically sound, netnography creates uncoerced spaces to allow participants to have their voices heard, thus enabling researchers to discover nuanced patterns linked to the social-emotional state and wellbeing of the community members, regarding fears, tensions, and resilience triggered by ERT. Multiple data sources were triangulated from the teacher's reflective journal, digital teaching artifacts, debriefing sessions, interviews, and online questionnaire responses. Thematic analysis reveals teacher identity was re-envisioned through crisis teaching pedagogy and the regulation of negative emotions to facilitate agency, which reciprocally bolstered teacher identity. The findings also indicate teacher identity development is challenged and shaped by negotiating a new role in remote teaching, thus impacting pre-ERT identity. Hence, the emotion regulation trajectory of ERT can stimulate and encourage technologyenhanced professional learning as teacher agency and resilience reinforce a new identity reimagined as a capable online teacher. By situating novice teacher agency, emotion regulation, and emerging identity in crisis teaching, this netnographic research conceptualises how ERT presents not only challenges for novice teachers' identity development and emotion but also the sustainability and empowerment of online teaching and professional growth of impacted teachers of Asian languages.

Continuum, 2024

This paper delves into the critical importance of ethical considerations in research, with a prim... more This paper delves into the critical importance of ethical considerations in research, with a primary focus on gender, sex, and sexual orientation. Recognizing the vulnerabilities and complexities inherent in these communities, we emphasize here the necessity of ethical awareness throughout all research phases. Ethical obligations may extend to ensuring cultural sensitivity, safety, and equitable resource distribution. The core ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice are promoted here to serve as a viable framework for ethical research. These principles require meticulous attention to informed consent, minimizing harm, maximizing benefits, and promoting fairness throughout the research process. The paper delves into the intricacies of queer identities, highlighting the fluidity and intersections among gender, sex, and sexual orientation. Recommendations are proposed to integrate ethical principles seamlessly into research. This paper underscores that ethical considerations are not just a regulatory requirement but a moral obligation, essential for upholding the rights and well-being of all individuals. By embedding ethical principles into research, we can contribute to a more inclusive, equitable, and just society, amplifying the voices and experiences of marginalized communities while minimizing harm and promoting social change.

Societal Impacts, 2024

LGBTQIA+ is an acronym that stands for 'lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/ques... more LGBTQIA+ is an acronym that stands for 'lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual and other diverse sexualities and genders'. In Australia, LGBTQIA+ people still experience extensive discrimination within the education system, a recent report highlighting that most Australian LGBT students felt unsafe in secondary school. LGBTQIA+ youth in Australia have significantly higher rates of anxiety, mental health conditions and suicide attempts when compared to the general population. At the same time, pre-service teacher training in Australia is not consistent in providing information and support to prospective educators in LGBTQIA+ inclusive practice and curricula development. This paper explores the initial results of a multi-phase, ongoing project designed to assist pre-service teachers in developing their awareness and understanding of LGBTQIA+ inclusive practice. Utilizing Participatory Action Research (PAR), co-creation and the Design Justice Principles (DJP), the research group sought stakeholder feedback from both pre-service teachers, LGBTQIA+ identified educators and LGBTQIA+ allies to design and deliver LGBTQIA+ inclusive training and resources. Data was collected from pre-service teacher's survey responses to a professional learning workshop on LGBTQIA+ inclusive practice, revealing high value in understanding inclusive language and discussions of gender diversity and desire for earlier inclusion of these topics in teaching degrees. This was followed by a co-creation phase, resulting in the development of a queering curriculum resource site, followed by a focus group with lived experience stakeholders. This latter phase of the project drew upon insider perspectives to help refine the codesigned resources to make them more intersectional, inclusive, and relevant. The resulting analysis highlights the link between our research and the DJP, while emphasizing the importance of 'listening to the voices from within' by establishing meaningful, ongoing stakeholder engagement in the development and delivery of inclusive education resources and materials.

JOURNAL OF ETHNIC AND MIGRATION STUDIES, 2024

At the onset of COVID-19, many Local Government Areas (LGAs) indicated they were struggling to co... more At the onset of COVID-19, many Local Government Areas (LGAs)
indicated they were struggling to communicate effectively with
multilingual migrant communities. Communities were isolated from
vital LGA support due to factors including the digital divide, barriers
to language access, and top-down communication strategies. The
pandemic also provided insights into the ways migrant
communities mitigate hardship by engaging in placemaking and
place-shaping, using existing networks and resources to provide
vital support during crisis, which requires significant invisible
labour. In this article, we present three case studies from a larger
community-based project which began in early 2020 with an LGA in
Western Australia. We use case narratives to illustrate and analyse
three common actions migrant women used to engage their
communities prior to, and during, COVID-19 recovery. These simple,
yet profound actions, which include visiting communities,
acknowledging challenges, and identifying opportunities further
evidence the ways community leaders facilitate culturally sustaining
placemaking, even during crisis; they underscore the intense
emotional, cultural, and linguistic labour required to enact support
in contexts where resources are inaccessible or misaligned with
community stories. We argue it is only in partnership with
communities that LGAs can learn to address some of the longstanding
issues COVID-19 highlights.

Societal Impacts, 2024

Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching, 2023

The high-calibre education in Australia has attracted overseas students to pursue a Higher Degree... more The high-calibre education in Australia has attracted overseas students to pursue a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) every year. While HDR training is crucial for all HDR students, international students are relatively vulnerable due to the challenging demands of academic writing and research, coupled with the cultural and language barriers different from their own. To worsen the situation, the global pandemic forced face-to-face supervision into remote supervision mode, thus exacerbating students' social-emotional learning state even further. This article transports readers to a telecollaborative project that I initiated amid the pandemic through an autoethnographic approach. Propelled by the urgent need to better support supervisees beyond boundaries, I enacted a transnational telecollaboration to mentor international HDR students to position themselves as emerging researchers. Informed by participatory action research (PAR), I guided my junior colleagues (early career researchers (ECRs)) to conduct HDR needs analysis, hold HDR training webinars, build a virtual community via Facebook, and shadow HDR students throughout their reflection journaling via Google Docs. This viable supervision model broke down the power structure by creating an ecologically balanced framework, thus promoting collaboration rather than isolation.

International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2023

Language Awareness, 2023

This paper is based on the first author's experience of experimenting with critical language peda... more This paper is based on the first author's experience of experimenting with critical language pedagogy (CLP) when she was teaching in the UAE. While prior research focuses mainly on the theoretical aspects of CLP, empirical studies on the effectiveness of implementing critical approaches and developing related teaching materials in Arab EFL contexts with young learners are underrepresented. Informed by Paulo Freire's formulation of 'culture circles', this

The Journal of Teaching English with Technology, 2023

Despite being a building block in language learning, vocabulary can be a learning obstacle for so... more Despite being a building block in language learning, vocabulary can be a learning obstacle for some learners. This study explores the effects of virtual reality (VR) games on English as an additional language (EAL) EAL learners' content-based vocabulary acquisition and retention. Six Year 9 Middle Eastern students from an independent school in Western Australia were randomly selected to experience this VR approach. A Google Cardboard headset was utilised to immerse players in a 3D environment, enabling them to acquire target vocabulary while exploring the content in VR games. Data was collected through a pre-test (to screen preexisting vocabulary knowledge), post-test (to measure vocabulary acquisition via VR games) and delayed post-test (to measure vocabulary retention). Marked differences were found between pre-and post-tests (p = .021) and pre-and delayed post-tests (p = .033), suggesting that the gamified VR environment can stimulate content-based vocabulary acquisition and enhance its retention. This 3D approach to vocabulary learning implicates the pedagogical benefits of VR games for struggling EAL learners.

Education and Information Technologies

This pilot study explores and documents online students’ and their lecturer’s debut experiences o... more This pilot study explores and documents online students’ and their lecturer’s debut experiences of utilising VoiceThread (VT), a digital multimodal platform, as an alternative discussion space via Open Universities Australia (OUA). Feedback from the lecturer’s teaching log and interview was corroborated with his OUA students’ survey responses, and analysed in relation to student online learning experiences with VT and Discussion Board, as well as technological and affective aspects of both platforms. Findings indicate that VT has a stronger potential in boosting stakeholders’ online engagement and enjoyment of distance learning, thus fostering online community building. Specifically, VT creates not only a multimodal and dynamic platform in lieu of Discussion Board, but a supportive online learning environment that promotes more inclusive and ongoing interactions. Despite the positive results, VT was viewed by some students as technologically demanding, causing them to only read peer...

Education and Information Technologies, 2023

This pilot study explores and documents online students' and their lecturer's debut experiences o... more This pilot study explores and documents online students' and their lecturer's debut experiences of utilising VoiceThread (VT), a digital multimodal platform, as an alternative discussion space via Open Universities Australia (OUA). Feedback from the lecturer's teaching log and interview was corroborated with his OUA students' survey responses, and analysed in relation to student online learning experiences with VT and Discussion Board, as well as technological and affective aspects of both platforms. Findings indicate that VT has a stronger potential in boosting stakeholders' online engagement and enjoyment of distance learning, thus fostering online community building. Specifically, VT creates not only a multimodal and dynamic platform in lieu of Discussion Board, but a supportive online learning environment that promotes more inclusive and ongoing interactions. Despite the positive results, VT was viewed by some students as technologically demanding, causing them to only read peer posts without responding. It is suggested that orientation training sessions and trial threads be made available to ease the students into VT. Aspects of tutorial group size and instructor support should also be considered for future online course delivery.

Diversity & Inclusion Research, 2025

CoDesign, 2024

Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 2024

Axon: Creative Explorations, 2024

International Journal of Applied Linguistics

Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 2024

Language Learning & Technology, 2024

Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2024

Continuum, 2024

Societal Impacts, 2024

JOURNAL OF ETHNIC AND MIGRATION STUDIES, 2024

Societal Impacts, 2024

Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching, 2023

International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2023

Language Awareness, 2023

The Journal of Teaching English with Technology, 2023

Education and Information Technologies

Education and Information Technologies, 2023

In Sake Jager, Linda Bradley, Estelle J. Meima, Sylvie Thouësny (Eds), CALL Design: Principles and Practice - Proceedings of the 2014 EUROCALL Conference, Groningen, The Netherlands, 2014

Innovations and Applications of Technology in Language Education, 2024

Most schools in Indonesia remained closed during the COVID-19 outbreak between 2020 and 2021. Con... more Most schools in Indonesia remained closed during the COVID-19 outbreak between 2020 and 2021. Consequently, teaching and learning processes were changed from the face-to-face mode to the online format. The case study described in this chapter was conducted in response to this situation. It involved introducing Indonesian English language learners to online language learning using WhatsApp communication tasks. This chapter describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of tasks used by learners to communicate in English. The tasks were developed based on a needs analysis using a task-supported language teaching framework. Forty-two students from two public secondary schools in East Java, Indonesia, participated in task implementation. Data collected from the student interviews and learning journals were used to evaluate the tasks. Pedagogical implications are offered to English as a Foreign Language teachers interested in adopting technology-mediated tasks to enhance communication and language learning using the WhatsApp digital platform.

Routledge, 2022

This insightful book offers language teachers and teachers in training the opportunity to delve i... more This insightful book offers language teachers and teachers in training the opportunity to delve into 3D virtual worlds and see the benefits they provide for effective language teaching. Based on a decade of experience teaching and researching in Second Life (SL), Chen demystifies the dos and don’ts of SL teaching and research, whilst vividly walking readers through each step of the journey. Written in an accessible, jargon-free, and personalised tone, the book is divided into three parts. Part I builds the foundation in SL research, task-based language teaching (TBLT), and understanding fundamental skills for SL teaching. Part II showcases the author’s SL teaching blog that generously unveils their task-based, SL-enabled lessons, participant observations, critical reflections, and lessons learned from each SL session. Part III is complete with the highlights of the author’s SL research and hands-on resources and tips for readers. Each chapter also features a "Checkpoint" section to gauge reader understanding of chapter content, followed by a "Your Task" section to promote learning by doing in SL. Teachers and curriculum designers will find the well-detailed and guided lesson planning useful when starting their first SL class. Graduate students and novice researchers will also find the systematically recorded data collection helpful for their SL research.

Digital Games in Language Learning, 2022

English as a second language (ESL) students generally struggle to learn mainstream school subject... more English as a second language (ESL) students generally struggle to learn mainstream school subjects (Humanities, Social Sciences, Science, and Art) due to the lack of adequate content-specific vocabulary support. Their mainstream teachers attribute this to students' limited vocabulary in addition to their low English proficiency. To address this pedagogical concern, this case study explored the perceptions of six Year 9 Middle Eastern students during their engagement with virtual reality (VR) games to learn content-specific vocabulary using Google Cardboard headsets. Qualitative data was collected using class observations of VR implementation and student responses to exit slip prompts targeting their VR experiences, followed by a semi-structured group interview. A thematic analysis approach was employed to interpret their experiences and provide in-depth descriptions, supported by triangulated data sources. Two thematic categories emerged: ESL learners' attitudes towards headset-enabled 3D educational VR games, and the impact of those games on vocabulary acquisition. Findings indicated that, despite technical issues encountered and the lack of adequate educational features, the VR games provided a fun element that not only enhanced students' engagement but also reinvigorated content and vocabulary learning.

Springer, Cham, 2022

This timely volume addresses issues pertaining to language teaching, learning and research during... more This timely volume addresses issues pertaining to language teaching, learning and research during the pandemic. In times of a global emergency, the aftermath of emergency remote teaching (ERT) cannot be ignored. The question of how language educators and researchers unleash creativity and employ strategies vis-à-vis ERT still remains to be answered. With practitioners in mind, it covers a broad spectrum of educational settings across continents, target languages and methodologies. Specifically, it reveals viable ways of utilizing digital technologies to bypass social distancing while highlighting the pitfalls and challenges associated with crisis teaching and research. This volume comprises two parts: Teacher Voice vicariously transports readers to practitioners’ compelling stories of how teacher resilience, identity and professional development are crystallized in adaptive pedagogy, online teaching practicum, virtual study programs and communities of practice during ERT. The second part, Researcher Corner, showcases innovative approaches for both novice and seasoned researchers to upskill their toolkits, ranging from case study research and mixed methods designs, to auto- and virtual ethnography and social media research. The array of food for thought provides a positive outlook and inspires us to rethink our current practices and future directions in the post-COVID world. Regardless of their backgrounds and experiences, readers will be able to relate to this accessible volume that harmonizes research and practice, and speaks from the hearts of all the contributors.

Digital communication, linguistic diversity and education, 2020

This chapter reports on the study of student engagement in the Open Universities Australia (OUA) ... more This chapter reports on the study of student engagement in the Open Universities Australia (OUA) unit discussions and the use of VoiceThread – an interactive digital tool that enables collaboration via audio, video, text, PDFs, images and other multimodal features – to facilitate online community building. This study was motivated by the observed low participation of OUA students in, and their negative perceptions of, the linear text-based discussion forums, which they described as tedious, less personalised, and not as appealing as the dynamic multimodal features afforded by its social networking counterparts. To address this, the feasibility of VoiceThread for online asynchronous communication was investigated. The chapter explores the aspects of multimodal features of interaction via VoiceThread, as well as its challenges and benefits for online student retention, engagement, and quality of discussions. In particular, salient communication patterns found within VoiceThread, which differed significantly from those in Discussion Board, are exemplified and discussed in light of pedagogical implications for online teaching and learning. Findings also indicate differences in modality preferences for online discussions between the instructor and his students. The way that various multimodal features were utilised by the participants is outlined and compared to the outcomes of previous research in distance education.

Digital Communication, Linguistic Diversity and Education, 2020

Australian university academics have used Blackboard Collaborate (BC), a synchronous, multimodal ... more Australian university academics have used Blackboard Collaborate (BC), a synchronous, multimodal platform, with online students for some years now. Its role as a promoter or detractor of social presence online and its influence on linguistic/paralinguistic choices still needs investigation, however, if this tool is to be fully utilised. The study reported in this chapter examined tele/co-presence and linguistic/ paralinguistic behaviours in BC sessions. Findings were drawn from a larger mixed-methods study which explored the experiences of students and academics using BC at one Australian university. Framed by notions of virtual community of practice, and social presence theory, the study viewed interaction in the BC session through the lens of student-teacher, student-student communication. It examined distinct linguistic/paralinguistic behaviour fostered by the multimodal nature of BC through the collection of in-depth qualitative data from eleven undergraduate students and seven university academics. Interviews were face-to-face, semi-structured and recorded while the survey utilised open-ended questions. Key themes in the findings were 1) students’ and academics’ different responses to the sense of tele/co-presence shaped by, and shaping, community building in the digital third space; 2) the various, linguistic and paralinguistic choices fostered by the multimodal nature of BC sessions.

New technological applications for foreign and second language learning and teaching, 2020

This chapter explores the effectiveness of computerised oral testing on Japanese learners' test e... more This chapter explores the effectiveness of computerised oral testing on Japanese learners' test experiences and associated affective factors in a Japanese program at the Australian tertiary level. The study investigates (1) Japanese beginners' attitudes towards the feasibility of utilising a computer-generated program vs. a tutor-fronted oral interview to assess their oral proficiency, and (2) the challenges and implications of computerised oral testing vis-à-vis Japanese beginners. It presents the initial findings of the qualitatively analysed data collected from student responses to open-ended survey questions and follow-up semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis approach was employed to examine student perceptions of the two different test settings and their effects on students' oral performance in relation to test anxiety. Despite the fact that computerised oral testing was overall perceived to be beneficial for streamlining the test process and reducing learners' test anxiety, the findings also identified its limitations.

Literacy Unbound: Multiliterate, Multilingual, Multimodal , 2019

The popularity of using blogs as online dialogue journals to share day-to-day activities with vir... more The popularity of using blogs as online dialogue journals to share day-to-day activities with virtual audiences has grown substantially in the twenty-first century. As learners in English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts are growing in number, research on the extent to which blogging can bolster EFL learners’ L2 development and intercultural competence is needed in order to contribute to the field of second-language acquisition (SLA). Specifically, studies situated within EFL contexts and framed by sociocultural theory (SCT) can provide dynamic and nuanced insights into how blogs as a digital platform can mediate and scaffold learners’ knowledge construction, acquisition of language skills and cross-cultural awareness shaped by a wider blogging community. The purpose of this chapter, hence, is to examine EFL learners’ language practices in the blogosphere as a social milieu. It is intended to enrich the discussion on the interplay between EFL learners’ cultural and linguistic repertories and their co-construction of new knowledge with authentic audiences. Empirical studies are critically reviewed through the SCT lens as an SLA framework to further explain how blogging can break the in- and outside-class boundaries and empower EFL learners. Research and pedagogical implications are also synthesized and highlighted by a selection of commonly used blog platforms for language teaching and research.

Applied Linguistics Press

Call for Book Chapters (under contract with Applied Linguistics Press)

Bloomsbury Publishing

Overview Where there's struggle, there's growth-and where there's success, there are bound to be ... more Overview Where there's struggle, there's growth-and where there's success, there are bound to be challenges. Those who join the 'business' of teaching often do so for reasons that go beyond 'the ordinary business of life' (and certainly capitalist business as usual). Many of us, for instance, pursue varying transnational trajectories to become critical language teachers and teacher educators, both in formal K-16+ as well as 'informal' community-based sites of teaching and learning across the globe. These trajectories stem from a sense of vocation professionally and a place of deep conviction personally that education is transformative and healing-for our communities as well as for ourselves. However, becoming a transnational language teacher and/or a transnational teacher educator is not always an easy or an uneventful journey; it is often mentally and physically exhausting (Penton Herrera et al., 2023), especially for those who hail from or are currently engaged in Global South contexts. Add to that the fact that professional teacher and teacher educator identities continue to become more fluid-operating increasingly at the critical intersections of race, language, nationality, religion, gender, and/or sexuality-with ever-increasing mobility back and forth across nation-states, communities, and institutions in the transnational ELT landscape (

Curtin HDR Scholarship, 2023

Interested in pursuing a PhD with a 4-year fully funded scholarship (stipend + tuition waiver) at... more Interested in pursuing a PhD with a 4-year fully funded scholarship (stipend + tuition waiver) at Curtin University, ranked in the top 1% of universities worldwide? If you're interested in doing research that marries language education, digital game-based learning, and immersive virtual reality, we welcome you to join our team. For my fellow supervisors, please help disseminate this news to your students or those who are keen to apply: https://scholarships.curtin.edu.au/Scholarship/?id=5895