I finished the ELED programme in 2009 with very little idea of how I could contribute in the field of teaching and where the next few years would take me. I had barely even thought about “the future” until the moment I knew I’d actually passed my degree kicked in. Now I am still a teacher and I love it. Teaching in a Japanese University has brought the challenge to the next level. Everyday I learn and experience new things, which constantly evoke memories of being a student, working with and learning from the wonderful people I met in the Programme. The connections we make in ELED truly last a lifetime. Many of us live and work around the world, and as we work to transform education in our corner of the globe, we are always connected to other alumni, our teachers and the ELED community. Regardless of the miles that set us apart from the FoE campus, we always consider Ho Tim our second home.

Upon completion of my double degree in English Studies and English Language Education, I attended the University of Oxford as a recipient of the Sir S K Tang Chevening Postgraduate Scholarship and obtained my MSc in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition with Distinction. I then taught English at a local secondary school and subsequently the English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) at CUHK. At the ELTU, I taught a range of courses for academic and specific purposes to undergraduates, including Foundation English for University Studies, Business Communication, and Grammar for University Studies. For three consecutive years, I received the ELTU Exemplary Teaching Award, and in 2013, I was granted the Outstanding Teaching Award by the Faculty of Arts.

As an academic researcher, I have keen interests in vocabulary input and treatment, beliefs about language teaching and learning, and teacher professional development. I have given presentations in international conferences held in different countries such as Japan, Korea, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. I also serve on the Editorial Board of different journals. Currently, I am reading my doctorate funded by the HKSAR Government, and the Commonwealth European and International Cambridge Trust. My research project investigates the salient features of beliefs about vocabulary teaching and learning espoused by English language teachers, examines how such beliefs are related to their classroom practice, and explores the extent to which a dialogic approach to teacher professional development can raise teachers’ awareness of their own and others’ beliefs. It is expected that the project will have three angles as regards implications, making theoretical, methodological and pedagogical contributions to the field of teacher cognition and language education.

Upon graduation, I widened my exposure beyond classroom teaching by working on refugee education in Malaysia and on academic guidance and counselling in Hong Kong. Grateful to have been selected as the inaugural representative of New Asia College and the Faculty of Education as a Teaching Fellow in the United States, I gained a better understanding of learning in the country through teaching and panel discussions organised by the Yale-China Association. Following this, I plan on continuing my studies and work in areas intersecting education, policy and development involving different communities.

After graduation, I served as an English teacher in a primary school in Hong Kong where I was truly inspired by committed educators. This year, I am joining the team of Yale-China Teaching Fellows with a strong devotion to teaching. I am excited about this exceptional opportunity in which I can heighten my teaching competency in an entirely different classroom setting and gain insights into the understanding of American culture. I look forward to incorporating the principles and pedagogy of the American education system into the Hong Kong context.

After graduation, I have worked as an English teacher in a primary school in Hong Kong. I have been very grateful for my previous education training at ELED and working experiences, during which I have met many experienced teachers and have been constantly inspired with the essential skills and attitude that a professional teacher should possess. In this academic year, I am participating in the Yale-China Chinese Teaching Fellowship Program. I am thrilled to embrace any opportunity of cultural exchange in the United States. The interesting experiences ahead would certainly expand my horizons and enrich my understanding of the world and its diverse members, and consequently shape me into a teacher with more to share and inspire.