Calling international students and Chinese students at Queen’s
Below are two pieces of ‘Wanted’ messages looking for participants. If you think you are the right person to get involved and make a contribution, feel free to contact them to express your interest.
1 Participants for AI and Second Language Acquisition Research
My name is Zhuofei, and you can call me Sophie.
I’m a PhD student in psychology at Queen’s. My first study focuses on the impact of AI on Second Language Acquisition. I’m currently looking for international students who are Non-English Speaker from any countries.
As an international student, have you ever used AI in your language use?
My answer is: I have — and quite a lot, to be honest!
As non-native English speakers, it’s perfectly normal for us to experience a bit of language anxiety when using English in UK classrooms. Imagine that moment when you want to speak up, but your brain decides to play hide-and-seek with vocabulary. Yep, been there.
Now here are the big questions:
Does using AI to help with language actually reduce that anxiety?
Does it make you more motivated to learn? Or more confident to speak up in class? Or… does it sometimes make things worse?
That’s what I’d love to find out — with your help! Let’s explore together how AI is really shaping our language learning journeys as international students. Who knows — you might discover you’re not the only one secretly best friends with ChatGPT!
If you are interested in taking part, please scan the QR code in the poster😊
There will also be a Focus Group on the same topic later. if you wish to participate, please send me an email. Thank you very much and looking forward to having a chat with you in what promises to be a very interesting discussion 👍
Melodies of the Chinese Zither and the Perfume of Books 琴韵书香迎端午 Friday 30th May 2025 13:00 – 15:00 Auditorium, The McClay Library
Speaker/Performer:
Wei DENG (邓维), QUB alumna from School of Arts, English and Languages
Chen GAO (高宸), visiting PhD candidate at School of Arts, English and Languages, from Minzu University of China
Outline:
This special forum consists of two sections.
In the first half, Wei will introduce her proposed project with Ludo Dao CIC which is committed to exploring the development of an intercultural approach to musical performance, focusing on the dialogue between the Chinese traditional guzheng and Northern Irish musical instruments. She will also perform selected guzheng pieces live and warmly invites local musicians — from Queen’s and beyond — to join in this intercultural exchange through music.
In the second half, Chenwill present an introduction to the Siku Quanshu (《四库全书》), the monumental imperial collection that has recently been shelved in Queen’s McClay Library. Focusing on its compilation process and the discernment of scholarly traditions, Chen will explore both the historical significance and contemporary relevance of the Complete Library of the Four Repertoires.
The UN celebrates Chinese Language Day annually on 20th April each year. This year, it falls on to a Sunday.
The date for the Chinese day was selected from Guyu (“Rain of Millet”), which is the 6th of 24 solar terms in the traditional East Asian calendars, to pay tribute to Cangjie. Cangjie is a very important figure in ancient China, claimed to be an official historian of the Yellow Emperor and the inventor of Chinese characters. Legend has it that he had four eyes and four pupils, and that when he invented the characters, the deities and ghosts cried and the sky rained millet. From then on, Chinese people celebrate the day Guyu in honour of Cangjie. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around April 20.
To mark this special occasion, we warmly invite everyone with a passion for promoting the Chinese language and culture worldwide—whether in academic or professional settings, as teachers or learners—to join us for the UN Chinese Language Day Forum 2025.
Our two invited speakers will share their insights and reflections drawn from years of experience in intercultural workplaces, offering valuable perspectives on both academic and professional practices in a global context.
Speakers:
Xian ZHAO (赵忺) is a doctoral candidate and Professional Teaching Fellow in the School of Cultures, Languages, and Linguistics at the Faculty of Arts, University of Auckland. With a strong passion for Chinese language education, she brings extensive teaching experience across diverse cultural and academic settings, including China, the United States, Thailand, and New Zealand.
In 2019, she served as a Chinese language lecturer in the Department of East Asian Studies at Princeton University. Prior to that, she taught at Confucius Institutes in both Thailand and the U.S., where she was actively involved in language instruction and cross-cultural exchange. Her professional contributions extend beyond the classroom—she has served as an examiner for the selection of Confucius Institute volunteer teachers and for the CTCSOL certificate (Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages).
Additionally, she has acted as a judge for the Chinese Bridge competition. Currently, her research interests lie at the intersection of individual learner differences, artificial intelligence, and language teaching. She is particularly interested in how emerging technologies can enhance the learning experience and outcomes for second language (L2) learners. Xian has published her work in several top-tier academic journals such as Studies in Second Language Acquisition, System, and Language Teaching Research, among others. She also serves as a peer reviewer for more than 20 academic journals.
Ye CHEN (陈烨) is Founder of Dongyan Future Education Studio. She was a former dispatched Mandarin teacher at the Confucius Institute of Peking University and UCL. In 2023 she was named the Global Digital Gold Medal Lecturer by the Chinese Language Alliance, and in 2024 she received the Chinese Language Alliance Gold Medal for Digital Resource Application Case Study (PBL Teaching Method).
Ye has taught at UCL Academy and Seoul International School and served as a member of the question-setting committee for Korea’s Chinese College Entrance Exam mock tests (2021). She took a Chief Research Editor role in the development of an innovative vocabulary software project under Center for Language Education and Cooperation’s (CLEC, China) resource development initiative. Ye has been invited multiple times to conduct training for overseas volunteer Mandarin teachers of CLEC, as well as Chinese teacher associations in Canada, the UK, and South Korea, training over 3,000 teachers in total. Her research has been presented at international conferences, including the European Association of Chinese Teachers’ Symposium, and she has been invited to deliver lectures on AI-empowered education at the Confucius Institutes of the London School of Economics and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
Registration
Date: Sunday 20th April 2025 Time: UK 09:00-10:30 | CN 16:00-17:30 | NZ 20:00-21:30 Access: QUB MS Teams (link will be given after registration) Languages: Chinese, with English
With the arrival of spring, Chinese scholars are showcasing their vibrant academic contributions. This April, Queen’s University is excited to present two engaging talks on Chinese culture.
Talk 1
For this Friday’s History Seminar, PhD student Ziheng Wang from School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics presents his research work titled ‘The Apple of My Eye: The Chinese Depiction towards Russia since the 1990s’.
In the following Friday, Chinese tutor Heng Wang from QUB Language Centre will present an introduction on how Islam has developed in China since 7th century, and how it has intertwined with local culture and religions.
For more information and registration, read the post below:
The School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics has announced its Spring Dialogues to welcome a cohort of their students and alumni to share their research work at the Seminar Series, with Liang HE, a Chinese graduate in Philosophy, being the first one on its programme.
Liang has kindly shared her presentation information and abstract with our Chinese Culture Forum as below. She also would like to extend her invitation to all those who are interested in the topic.
Speaker: Liang HE, MSc International Public Policy
Confucian Gender Norms, Patriarchy, and Capitalism: The ‘Privileged’ Middle-Class Chinese Daughter Under the One-Child Policy?
The one-child policy, enacted in China from the 1970s to 2015, has profoundly shaped the experiences of urban women, particularly the daughters of the emerging middle class. Rooted in Confucian gender norms and reinforced by a patriarchal system, this policy has contributed to societal expectations that prioritize male offspring while simultaneously offering urban women increased access to resources and opportunities. As a result, these “privileged daughters” are often viewed as beneficiaries of urbanization and economic growth.
This paper employs Marxist feminist theory to explore the lives of Chinese middle-class daughters studying in the West. It examines the conflicting pressures they face between traditional gender roles – emphasizing marriage, motherhood, and filial piety – and the aspirations encouraged by a neoliberal environment. These women navigate a complex landscape where they must reconcile their pursuit of autonomy with societal expectations to provide for their families and uphold cultural traditions. By highlighting the experiences of these urban daughters, this research sheds light on how Confucian gender norms and capitalism intersect, revealing the challenges they encounter in balancing personal desires with familial obligations. Ultimately, this paper enhances our understanding of how the intersection of gender norms and capitalist structures shapes the experiences of urban middle-class daughters in contemporary China, revealing the complexities of their identities and the societal expectations they must navigate.
We are deeply grateful to all of you – students (including alumni and visiting students), staff members (including visiting academics), and their families – for your support in making the Year of the Snake celebration a success over the past weeks. This has been a truly remarkable celebration, bringing together diverse communities at Queen’s and beyond, fostering intercultural exchange and deeper understanding among people from different cultural backgrounds.
We take great pride in hosting this grand celebration, the very first of 2025 at Queen’s, which also marks the beginning of the University’s 180th Anniversary celebrations. We look forward to welcoming you to an exciting lineup of events as part of Queen’s 180th Anniversary celebration programme – stay tuned for more opportunities to engage and celebrate together!
As the Lantern Festival falls on Wednesday, 12th February, we would like to take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt thanks to all colleagues and students who have supported our celebration programme in various ways.
To mark the conclusion of the Year of the Snake Celebration Programme, recognise the winners of the Drawing the Snake Competition, and express our gratitude to our volunteers and contributors, we warmly invite you to our “Lantern Festival” stands in the foyer area of One Elmwood on Wednesday, 12th February, from 12:30 to 13:30. Join us for a special gathering and award ceremony, where we will celebrate your contributions, share joyful moments, and reflect on the unforgettable highlights of this year’s festivities.
Fun Time with Table Tennis
As part of our celebration tradition, we host a Table Tennis Event around the Lantern Festival to promote networking and community building as a key highlight of the Lantern Festival celebration. Sponsored by the QUB iRISE Staff Network, this event warmly invites students, staff members, and their families to take part in a fun and friendly gathering. It offers a chance to engage with one of the most popular sports in Chinese communities while also fostering well-being through physical activity and social interaction.
Additionally, we invite you to explore the ArtEast Online Exhibition, showcasing a diverse collection of artworks by local Chinese artists. The artists would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions to further enhance their presentations.
Thank you for your enthusiastic participation! While our Chinese Culture Forum 2025 will continue to present events and activities in the future, we look forward to celebrating with you again next year as we welcome the Year of the Horse!
With the Snake succeeding the Dragon (Loong) on Wednesday 29th January, we are now embracing the Chinese New Year, or 春节 (Chūnjié, Spring Festival) in Chinese communities – 春节快乐！Happy Spring Festival!
Lanyon Building in Red
To mark the Chinese New Year 2025 celebrations on Wednesday, 29th January — the first day of the Year of the Snake — Queen’s Lanyon Building was officially illuminated in red.
The Success Lion Dance Club, led by Master Alan Lui, delivered a spectacular lion dance performance, a traditional way of celebrating the Spring Festival in Chinese communities. The lions danced together and interacted with the audience, spreading blessings and good fortune for the year ahead.
Students, staff members, and their families were invited to join group photographs at the end, posing alongside the lions.
Drawing the Snake Competition
Congratulations to the following winners! A full exhibition can be viewed from Drawing the Snake Competition page.
Children 1st – Maysee Wei
Children 2nd – Cassie Zuo
Children 3rd – Xiyue Wu
Adult 1st – Xingge Sun
Adult 2nd – Yating Hu
Adult 3rd – Fuheng Qu
ArtEast online exhibition
Thanks to four ArtEast Club members’ contribution to the online exhibition this year, there are over 30 pieces of artworks we can view from their gallery.
We would like to thank Luyaoand Sinong for their engaging and interesting talks and welcome the upcoming talks delivered by Tong, Siyang, Mi and Tianpeng. Save the dates in your diary and don’t miss out!
CNY entertainment
QUB international student societies are hosting their own events (Open House and CNY Dinner) for the celebration of the Chinese New Year. They welcome both members and non-members to join in their events.
Wishing all staff, students, alumni, and the wider community a joyful and prosperous Year of the Snake!
Launch of the Chinese New Year celebrations (Wednesday 22 January) – open to all students and staff
With the arrival of the Year of the Snake on Wednesday 29 January, we would like to send our best wishes to all those who celebrate it and its variations (Lunar New Year in some Asian countries) and invite staff and students to join together on Wednesday 22 January for the main launch event, as below.
This is a collaborative event, organised by The Language Centre, One Elmwood Student Experience Team, Queen’s Students’ Union, CSSA, MSSNI, Ppi Belfast, and Queen’s iRISE Staff Network, supported by People and Culture Diversity and Inclusion team.
12:00 – 13:00 Welcome Reception (Auditorium, McClay Library) –please register for this here.
13:00 – 13:30 Dragon Dance and Parade – departing from McClay Library through Lanyon, finishing at One Elmwood Student Centre and Students’ Union)
13:30 – 16:00 Cultural Fair and Performances (One Elmwood Foyer – Ground Floor) –no registration required
Chinese Culture Forum
The celebration of the Year of the Snake also announces the start of our Chinese Culture Forum in 2025, with the following talks contributed by Queen’s staff and students, including visiting academics and students from a range of disciplines. Check the programme button and book the events that you are interested in.
We are open to proposals for a variety of events that you would wish to help with or contribute to developing our CCP2025 programme. Please do not hesitate to submit your proposals via the form below and we will get in touch with you in due course after your submission.
The Pre-CNY Workshops commenced with great enthusiasm, setting the tone for the celebrations ahead.
On the afternoon of Monday, 13th January, the Blue Sky Room at One Elmwood welcomed a diverse audience from various cultural and academic backgrounds. Attendees gathered to participate in three engaging workshops — Drawing the Snake, Chinese Calligraphy, and Paper Crafts — in preparation for the arrival of the Year of the Snake.
The Language Centre, in collaboration with One Elmwood Student Experience Team and Queen’s Students’ Union, is keen to invite students and staff members, as well as members of the public, to attend a wide range of events in the coming weeks, featuring
The launch of the Chinese New Year celebrations (Wednesday 22 January)
Year of the Snake Fair (Wednesday 22 January)
Culture talks
Film seminar and screening
Art exhibitions
For more information and to register click the button below
