1. PhD studies
2. PhD Researchers

PhD Researchers

Ffion DAVIES Title of thesis Reconceptualising the homme fatal in Early Twentieth-Century American Crime Fiction Short abstract of thesis This project will trace the appearance and development of the homme fatal – or, the archetype of the dangerous man – in early twentieth-century American crime fiction. By investigating the ways in which this archetype acts as a signifier of deviant masculinities, we can trace the resulting phenomena whereby the homme fatal undergoes a process of queering in its codification of changing conceptions around masculinity and maleness. The research will be based on, and contribute to, three main research fields: crime fiction studies (particularly of the noir and hard-boiled subgenres, though the theories will apply to a broader view of the genre), Queer studies, and the study of masculinities. This project will fill a significant research gap, for the figure of the homme fatal has not received adequate scholarly attention despite its vital bearing on, and powerful reflection of, changing conceptions of masculinity within early twentieth-century American culture. Name of Supervisor Prof. Eric Sandberg

Christine KAN Title of thesis Exploring Canine Representation and Perception in Selected Twenty-first Century English Novels  Short abstract of thesis This research aims to explore and examine how canines are represented and portrayed in twenty-first century English novels, and what these depictions reveal to us about the human. Though a close discussion of six contemporary canine-centric novels, narrated from a mixture of perspectives, this research will hopefully help us gain a better understanding of our own thoughts and feelings towards our non-human counterparts, and in the process, re-evaluate how such portrayals of the canine stabilize or disrupt the human-canine relationship.  Name of Supervisor Prof. Jerrine Tan

Fenglin LIU Title of thesis Identity, Transformation, and Performance: Investigating Androgyny in Chinese Theatre Arts Short abstract of thesis The research explores the representation of gender identity of androgynous characters in the development of Chinese theater. Drawing on examples of transformative politics of androgyny in textual representation as well as stage direction, this research foregrounds different socio-political, aesthetic, and cultural reasons that propel such changes. A secondary aim of this research is to compare the different development and representations of androgyny in Chinese and western theatres, and to analyze the androgynous features of both theatres that helped to pave the way towards a more vocal and visible LGBTQ+ community in China.   Name of Supervisor Prof. Klaudia Lee

Gabriel TETTEH Title of thesis A Cross-cultural Multimodal Genre Analysis of PhD Oral Thesis Defence Short abstract of thesis Although multimodality has been applied to the study of various spoken academic genres, the PhD oral thesis defence (TD) has virtually become an exception. Consequently, my study seeks to undertake a multimodal genre analysis of TDs conducted in selected universities in Africa, Asia and Europe. Video recorded TDs will be analysed via an analytical framework involving tools from the multi-perspective genre approach, multimodality, interactional sociolinguistics, and positioning theory, and results triangulated with findings from fieldnotes and interviews from participants of TDs subjected to thematic analysis. The study seeks to unravel not only how interactants in TDs utilise various semiotic resources to achieve intended communicative purposes, but how students and examiners position themselves towards the other during the interactions, and the cultural differences that underlie TDs in the selected contexts. Findings from the project, therefore, will have implications for theory, and practice in terms of advanced literacy studies.  Name of Supervisor Prof. Christoph Hafner

Nicola WAN Title of thesis Hong Kong Literature’s Connection Across the Globe: The Possibilities and Limitations of Translation in the Unfinished Project of World Literature Short abstract of thesis This project argues that it is time to (re)embed the study of Hong Kong literature in the larger and continuous project of world literature, by carefully gesturing toward a critical examination of three Hong Kong writers and their literary texts in different temporalities, through the means of critical translation, which gives readers of world literature a unique purchase on what can be gained or possibly lost in the process of reading Hong Kong’s culture. Where translation is concerned in the part of conceptualizing world literature, the tasks of literary translators remain necessary in order for global readers to be able to read much beyond a certain specific range of material. This proposal thus suggests how literary translators can translate Hong Kong works into English, taking into account Hong Kong cultural particularities to increase its chances at a “continuous life” in the age of globalization. Name of Supervisor Prof. Klaudia Lee

Qianwen YU Title of thesis Understanding Chinese doctors’ professional identity in geriatric care: a sociocultural linguistic perspective Short abstract of thesis Informed by the sociocultural linguistic framework, Joyce’s study seeks to investigate the discursive process of doctors’ identity construction in providing geriatric care within the sociocultural context of mainland China. Drawing on audio-recorded medical consultations and semi-structured interviews with participating doctors, this study is expected to demonstrate how Chinese doctors’ professional identities are negotiated during medical consultations with older patients, and how they perceive their professional identities in practicing geriatric medicine. Name of Supervisor Prof. Jack Pun

Ranran ZHANG Title of thesis Making a Queer World: Madness, Affect and Citizenship in post World War II American Theatre Short abstract of thesis In postwar American theatre, a series of influential playwrights centered characters’ fantasia of affective attachment on stage, formulating a theatre of ‘madness’. Drawing upon affect theory which construes individual’s affect as corporeal intensity that could act and be acted upon, this dissertation examines ‘mad’ character’s affect and subjectivity in relation to the national sentimentality in postwar America. Under national sentimentality, individual’s personal attachment is regulated and manipulated by the government to develop an antipolitical politics and affective citizenship. Through analyzing characters’ fantasia in five plays—A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962), Funnyhouse of a Negro (1964), And Baby Made Seven (1984), and Angels in America (1991)—this dissertation attempts to explore how individual’s affect and subjectivity is shaped by and at the same time reshaping the affective discourse in postwar America. Name of Supervisor Prof. Klaudia Lee

Pei QIN Title of thesis Gender, Body, and Space: Women’s Travel Writing on China in the 1880s-1940s Short abstract of thesis My dissertation examines the works of Western female authors who traveled to China from the 1880s to 1940s to illustrate how embodied experience tested conventional notions of gender and space while complicating colonialist and Orientalist discourses of Chinese otherness. By examining these works from disparate time periods, this study makes an intervention into literary critical discussions around femininity and mobility, traveling identity, and space during a period of social and historical transformation. This study will show that writings by female travelers map historical changes towards modernity by inscribing the social and spatial terrain through strategies of outward observation and by situating and describing the body as an important form of mediation and transformation. Name of Supervisor Prof. Jeffrey Mather

Youping ZHANG Title of thesis A Mixed-method Study of Informal Language Learning in the Short Video Era: Influencers, Algorithms, and Viewers on Douyin Short abstract of thesis The arrival of the short video era has revolutionised the way that content is produced, disseminated, and consumed. While entertainment has been the predominant draw for China’s short video platforms to attract users, instructional videos experience a marked increase in production and viewership. This research aims to investigate the potential of short videos as a medium for informal language learning by analysing English teaching influencers’ videos on Douyin, the role of algorithms, and audience perception. A mixed-method (with a dominant qualitative orientation) multiple-case research design is adopted in this study. This project is expected to make theoretical contributions to digital communication and informal language learning. Practically, influencers’ teaching strategies may inform formal education. It may also help learners recognise the advantages and risks of the digital era. Name of Supervisor Prof. Christoph Hafner

Wenyun JIA Title of thesis An Exploratory Study of High Schools Students’ Disciplinary Reading Performance in English Medium Instruction Context: Students’ Self-Directed Reading Strategies in China Short abstract of thesis In the light of reading theory and self-directed learning theory, Wenyun’s study explores high school students’ self-directed reading strategies when engaging in disciplinary texts in EMI (English medium instruction) classrooms in mainland China. Drawing on multiple sources of data (i.e., surveys, semi-structured interviews, reading journals, think aloud method, and stimulated recalls), this study aims to reveal what kinds of self-directed strategies these Chinese students use for disciplinary reading, why they choose these strategies, and how they feel about these reading strategies useful or not. Name of Supervisor Prof. Jack Pun

Minqing LIU Title of thesis Sustainable Communication Strategies in the Outdoor Apparel Industry: A Discourse Analysis of Outdoor Apparel Brands Short abstract of thesis This thesis explores the communication strategies of sustainability in the outdoor apparel industry, focusing on five top-ranked brands. It examines how these brands construct their sustainable discourse through retail and marketing channels, and how their language and discourse in ESG reports reflect their sustainability practices. The study utilizes mixed methodologies, including content analysis, corpus studies, critical discourse analysis, and ecolinguistics. The findings will contribute to the existing literature on sustainable fashion and provide practical implications for outdoor apparel brands to improve their sustainability communication and practices. Name of Supervisor Prof. Esterina Nervino

Chaojun MA Title of thesis Language, identity, and rural revitalization: Mapping rural linguistic landscapes of globalizing China Short abstract of thesis In the era of globalization, China’s prosperity and dramatic social transformation coexist with chronic regional inequalities in neoliberal times, particularly the east-west disparity and the rural-urban divide. Against this backdrop, Rural Revitalization Initiative was launched in 2017 to reinvigorate rural places that have fueled China’s modernization and rapid development. Amidst this initiative’s progress, rural places have undergone tremendous changes in their socioeconomic and sociocultural development, and eco-environment construction, which are largely embedded in the indigenous linguistic landscapes. However, there remains a dearth of research on China’s rural public spaces in the age of superdiversity. As such, focusing on three geographically and socio-culturally different rural regions in China, this project will conduct a multiple-case study to investigate how the making of indigenous LL can shape and mediate the daily practices and identity negotiation of rural dwellers through wielding the power of language or engaging them with creative and diverse meaning-making practices. Name of Supervisor Prof. Esterina Nervino

Jie YANG Title of thesis Investigating L2 EAP students’ feedback literacy development and its correlation with students’ academic writing performance Short abstract of thesis Student feedback literacy, which concerns learners’ understanding and evaluation of feedback information and self-regulated learning, has recently drawn increasing scholarly attention. This research aims to investigate L2 student feedback literacy development under the academic context in an ESL classroom, striving to figure out how L2 English for Academic Purpose (EAP) student feedback literacy is developed after receiving Written Corrective Feedback (WCF). It also intends to unveil the correlation between students’ feedback literacy and their academic writing performance in terms of grammatical complexity, accuracy, and fluency, to improve students’ academic writing proficiency by developing student feedback literacy in a well-focused way. Name of Supervisor Prof. Lan Ge

Jason LU Title of thesis The effectiveness of implementing translanguaging pedagogy in genre-based EAP course in English medium instruction Chinese universities Short abstract of thesis In English as Medium of Instruction (EMI) context, students generally have difficulties in academic writing. Additional support such as English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course is therefore needed to develop students’ academic literacy to meet the demand of the academic community. Inspired by the concept of translanguaging pedagogy, Dunming's study seeks to investigate the effectiveness of implementing pedagogical translanguaging in a genre-based EAP course on the development of Chinese students’ academic literacy in the target discipline. Adopting a design-based research methodology, this study aims to understand L2 students’ needs for academic writing support, develop a genre-based EAP course with the implementation of pedagogical translanguaging and evaluate its effectiveness on academic literacy improvement by analysing students’ performance and understanding beliefs from teachers and students. Name of Supervisor Prof. Jack Pun

Mengfan REN Title of thesis Ecological Imagination in British Children Fantasy in the 20th Century Short abstract of thesis This research is designed to explore the ecological imagination built by British children fantasy in the 20th century, through which interprets the ways literary texts represent an independent ecological interpretation and foresee a multilayered nature, by specifically carrying on textual analysis on classic literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling and other supplementary materials by writers in the same period. By examining the ecological imagination, including supernatural forces, multispecies narration and landscape studies, this project aims to offer insights on how British Children fantasy sheds light on the fabrication of mutual-care value system and identification of human and non-human interconnection in a posthuman age. Name of Supervisor Prof. Klaudia Lee

Xiaohui SUN Title of thesis Exploring EMI Learners’ Language Learning Motivation, Language Investment, and Identity Construction in Tertiary Education: A Mixed-method Study of Business Undergraduates in Mainland China Short abstract of thesis In the upsurge of globalization, English has become a global language. In this case, many universities in mainland China offer EMI courses in Business programmes. In the field of EMI, a great deal of research has been conducted to investigate English learners’ motivation, identity as well as investment across diverse contexts. However, limited empirical efforts have been made to examine students’ motivation, identity, and investment negotiation in EMI contexts in mainland China. Therefore, to fill this gap, this research focuses on Chinese undergraduates majoring in Business and seeks to unpack their learning motivation, investment, and identity construction trajectories both in EMI classrooms and the wider EAP, ESP, and EFL learning communities. To this end, drawing on the theoretical framework from L2 Motivational Self System theory (Dörnyei, 2005; 2009) and the model of Investment (Darvin & Norton, 2015), I will adopt a mixed-method approach to gain an insight into the status quo of Chinese EMI learners’ motivation development and how they project their identities and invest in learning practices. It is hoped that this study can make contributions through providing practical implications for EMI teaching and enriching the current understanding of EMI learners’ commitment to learning under the influence of their motivation, identity, and investment management. Name of Supervisor Prof. Jack Pun