I’m an academic with over 25 years of experience in education, from primary and secondary to university level. The experience of teaching in different settings across four different continents has informed my understanding and approach to pedagogy. My research has been guided by my desire to bridge theory and practice, as it relates to language teaching in particular.
Professional Interests
Academic Leadership and Senior Administration:
Before serving as Director of the Centre for Language Education, I held senior administrative roles including Deputy Head of School, and Department Chair. I have extensive experience of postgraduate programme development and international recruitment, and I have held responsibility for English for Academic Purposes provision as Pre-Sessional course director.
Professional Development Work
My interest in working with teachers has included involvement in outreach and engagement activity:
- Meaning in Language Learning (MILL), https://millnetwork.org, Contributing member, Funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
- Network for the Interdisciplinary Study of Second Language Learning (NISSLL), https://nissll.wordpress.com, Founding member with K. Gil and H. Marsden, Funded by the White Rose Consortium.
- Invited workshop for English language teachers at Vienna University of Economics and Business
- Professional Development Course for English language teachers on English for Academic Purposes at York St Johns University
External Examiner / Programme Reviewer responsibilities have included:
- Sheffield University, MA Applied Linguistics with TESOL
- Anglia Ruskin: BA English Language & Linguistics, English Language & English Language Teaching
- Leicester University, BA Management and English as a Foreign Language
- Southampton University, BA Linguistics
- University of Kent, MA TESOL
- United Arab Emirates University, BA Linguistics
External Professional Membership and Responsibilities have included:
- British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes (BALEAP)
- BALEAP Accreditation Scheme Assessor (for EAP programmes)
- Research Officer, member of the Executive Committee (2007-2010)
- Association of University Language Centres (AULC)
- British Association for Applied Linguists (BAAL)
- Linguistics Association of Great Britain (LAGB)
Research Postgraduate student supervision. Completed projects include:
- Implicit vs explicit knowledge, Arabic L2 learners of English, causative\inchoative, middle and transitive\intransitive alternations
- Overcoming external v internal Interface, Articles and L2 acquisition
- Translation as a teaching tool, Arabic L1 learners of English articles
- Teaching Arabic as a second language
- Input enhancement, Arabic L1 learners of L2 English passives
- Mother tongue input in the language classroom
- L2 acquisition of epistemic modality in English by L1 Thai-speaking children and adults
Scholarship
2022
Journal Publication
A blindspot in applied linguistics
Whong, Melinda
Pedagogical Linguistics Vol 3, Issue 2, pp. 181-186
2022
Conference Presentation
St Andrews EAP Conference, Plenary speaker, The Role of Reflection in the Transition from Practitioner to Scholar-Practitioner
Whong, Melinda
St Andrews
2021
Scholarship Talk
City U invited speaker series, A self-directed approach to observation of teaching
Whong, Melinda/Co-presenter: Nora Hussin
Hong Kong
2021
Conference Presentation
Baleap PIM, Leadership (and management) in EAP: Whose job is it?
Whong, Melinda
Durham
2021
Scholarship Talk
CAES Seminar, Practice into Theory in SLA
Whong, Melinda
Hong Kong
2020
Book
Grammar: A Linguists' Guide for Language Teachers
Whong, M., Tom Rankin
Cambridge University Press
978-1-108-48602-6
2020
Conference Presentation
Center for Excellence in Language Teaching (CELT), Precarity, Practitioners and the Corona Virus: A directors perspective
Whong, Melinda
Leeds
2020
Book
What is Good Academic Writing: Insights into Discipline Specific Student Writing
Whong, M., Jeanne Godfrey
Bloomsbury Academic
2020
Chapter in Edited Volume
A collaborative scholarship model if EAP research and practice:
Whong, M., Jeanne Godfrey
In Whong, M and Godfrey.J. (Eds). What is Good Academic Writing: Insights into Discipline Specific Student Writing, Bloomsbury Academic
2019
Conference Presentation
Scholarship in EAP through 'Dual Practitioning'
WHONG, Melinda
China EAP Association (CEAPA) Annual Conference, Shanghai
2019
Conference Presentation
'Dual Pracitioning': A step beyond collaboration
WHONG, Melinda
British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes (BALEAP) Conference, [co-presenter: J. Godfrey], Leeds
2019
Chapter in Edited Volume
Grammatical concepts for pedagogical grammar
Whong, M., Tom Rankin
In Trotzke, A. and Kupisch, T. (Eds.) Formal Linguistics and Language Education: New Empirical Perspective
2018
Scholarship Talk
Experimental Methods in EAP
WHONG, Melinda
Baleap Research Teacher Enhancement Scheme, Reading
2018
Conference Presentation
Exploring the European Context of Language Programmes
WHONG, Melinda
The 10th Wulkow Meeting of Directors of Language Centres in Higher Education in Europe
The 10th Wulkow Meeting of Directors of Language Centres in Higher Education in Europe
2017
Journal Publication
What's in the textbook and what's in the mind
Whong, M., K. Gil and H. Marsden
Studies in Second Language Acquisition http://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263117000018
2017
Conference Presentation
A Combined Offer: Collaborative Development through a Content-Based Pre-sessional Programme
WHONG, Melinda
British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes (BALEAP) Conference [co-presenter: B. Bond] Bristol
2017
Conference Presentation
Developing co-curricular language learning activities
WHONG, Melinda
18th Annual Association of University Language Centres (AULC) Conference
2017
Journal Publication
The meaning of negation in the second language classroom: Evidence from 'any'
Whong, M., K. Gil and H. Marsden
Language Teaching Research http://0-doi-org.wam.leeds.ac.uk/10.1177/1362168817740144
2017
Scholarship Talk
Policy for Teacher Transformation
WHONG, Melinda
Faces of English 2, CAES International Conference, [Colloquium Organiser: A. Ding] Hong Kong
2016
Scholarship Talk
The importance of generative research for language teaching
WHONG, Melinda
CAROLE Symposium, Plenary Speaker, Greenwich University
2016
Scholarship Talk
Bringing Target Disciplines into Syllabus Design
WHONG, Melinda
BALEAP Accreditation Scheme Training Day
2016
Seminar
Communicating with other Worlds: Formal Linguistic Second Language Acquisition and Language Teaching
WHONG, Melinda
Linguistics Association of Great Britain (LAGB), [co-organisers: K. Gil and H. Marsden]
2015
Conference Presentation
The meaning of Negation in Classroom Instruction
WHONG, Melinda
European Second Language Acquisition (EuroSLA) co-presenters: K Gil and H. Marsden] lowa, Aix-en-Provence
2014
Scholarship Talk
What's happened to Language in language teaching research?
WHONG, Melinda
Research Talk Series, Vienna University of Economics and Business
2014
Conference Presentation
Complexity in Language Learning: The Need for Linguistic Expertise
WHONG, Melinda
BAAL Language Learning and Teaching SIG
2014
Conference Presentation
A role for generative SLA in classroom research
WHONG, Melinda
Symposium, L2 Instruction, Congitive Processes and L2 Difficulty [co-presenter: K Gil] University of Brussels
2014
Journal Publication
Beyond Paradigm: The 'what' and 'how' of classroom research
Whong, M., K Gil and H. Marsden
Second Language Research. 30: 551-568
2014
Scholarship Talk
Beyond paradigm: The importance of 'what' in second language classroom research
WHONG, Melinda
Departmental Research Series, University of Swansea
2013
Book
Universal Grammar and the Second Language Classroom
Whong, M., K. Gil and H. Marsden
Edited Volume, Springer
2013
Seminar
Special Workshop: Applying Generative SLA to the Language Classroom
WHONG, Melinda
Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition (GASLA) Invited Colloquium [co-organisers: K. Gil and H. Marsden], Gainesville, Florida
2013
Chapter in Edited Volume
Applied Generative SLA: The need for an agenda and a methodology
Whong, M.
In Whong et al (eds) Universal Grammar and the Second Language Classroom, Springer. pp 231-248
2013
Working Paper - Peer Reviewed
Can explicit grammar instruction serve as evidence for L2 grammar restructuring?
Whong, M., K Gil and H. Marsden
Advances in Language Acquisition. Starvrakaki, S., Lalioti, M. & Konstantinopoulou, P. (eds.). Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, p. 328-336. http://pure.york.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/can-explicit-grammar-instruction-serve-as-evidence
2013
Chapter in Edited Volume
Quantifiers: From and meaning in second language development
Whong, M., K Gil and H. Marsden
In Whong et al (eds) Universal Grammar and the Second Language Classroom, Springer. pp. 149-160
2013
Conference Presentation
Linguistics in Arabia, Can researching any tell us anything about teaching?
WHONG, Melinda
King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah
2013
Chapter in Edited Volume
Scope and methodologies.
Whong, M., C. Wright
In J. Hershensohn & M. Young-Scholten (eds) Cambridge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge: CUP
2013
Working Paper - Peer Reviewed
How we can learn from acquisition: the acquisition-learning debate revisited
Whong, M., K. Gil and H. Marsden
Proceedings of the 12th Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition Conference (GASLA 2013). University of Florida. Cabrelli Amaro, J., Judy, T. & Pascual y Cabo, D. (eds). Cascadilla Proceedings Project, P. 203-210
2013
Working Paper - Peer Reviewed
Can explicit grammar instruction serve as evidence for L2 grammar restructuring?
Whong, M., K Gil and H. Marsden
Advances in Language Acquisition. Starvrakaki, S., Lalioti, M. & Konstantinopoulou, P. (eds.). Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, p. 328-336. http://pure.york.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/can-explicit-grammar-instruction-serve-as-evidence
2012
Journal Publication
A linguistic perspective on communicative language teaching
Whong, M.
Language Learning. 40:1-14
2012
Working Paper - Peer Reviewed
L2 acquisition of any: negative evidence, negative implicature and negative L1 transfer
Whong, M., K Gil and H. Marsden
Proceedings of Second Language Research Forum (SLRF) College Park, MD.
2011
Book
Language Teaching: Linguistic Theory in Pratice
Whong, M.
Edinburgh University Press
2011
Seminar
Half a century on: What relevance does generative SLA have for language teaching?
WHONG, Melinda
American Association of Applied Linguists (AAAL)
2011
Conference Presentation
Can explicit grammar instruction serve as evidence for L2 grammar restructuring?
WHONG, Melinda
Generative Approaches to Language Acquisition (GALA) [co-presenters: K. Gil and H. Marsden] lowa
2010
Conference Presentation
L2 acquisition of any: negative evidence, negative implicature and negative L1 transfer
WHONG, Melinda
Second Language Research Forum (SLRF) [co-authors: K Gil and H. Marsden] College Park, MD
2009
Working Paper - Peer Reviewed
Editor: EAP in a Globalizing World: English as an Academic Lingua Franca
Whong, M.
Proceedings of the 2007 BALEAP Conference
2006
Chapter in Edited Volume
What transfers? An investigation into L1 transfer and L2 development
Whong, M.
In S. Unsworth, M. Young-Scholten and T. Parodi (eds.) Paths of Development in L1 and L2 Acquisition Amsterdam: John Benjamins. pp. 566-608
2005
Working Paper - Peer Reviewed
Transfer of argument structure and morphology
Whong, M.
In L. Dekydtspotter et al (eds.) Proceedings of the 7th Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition Conference (GASLA 2004), Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Proceedings Project. pp. 269-282
2003
Working Paper - Peer Reviewed
The interaction of transfer and access: Explaining failure in second language acquisition
Whong, M.
In J. Eckerth & M. Wendt (eds.) Proceedings from the International Foreign Language Teaching Colloquium, Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang. pp. 139-152
2002
Journal Publication
Morphological and syntactic transfer in child L2 acquisition of the English dative alternation
Whong, M., B.D. Schwartz
Studies in Second Language Acquisition. 24:579-616