The Department of Linguistics welcomes Dr. Claudia Wong who will be joining the department this fall as a part-time lecturer. Wong came to Vancouver earlier this year from Hong Kong where she earned her MPhil in Linguistics and PhD in Applied Linguistics at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). She also has a Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Columbia University. 

As a fluent speaker of four languages with an extensive career in education, it was only natural that her research interests gravitated towards second language acquisition, foreign language teacher training, and language and identity development. 

"I have always been interested in foreign language learning. As a person who was born in a former British colony, I grew up in a bilingual and tri-literate environment as well as an international hub where I got to see people of all nationalities," says Wong. "Since then, I know that language learning is not only about communicating with people but to understand their mindsets in problem solving, cultures and values."

Wong has had a long and flourishing teaching career. After completing her master's degree at HKU, she taught at her alma mater as a language instructor, and later on as a senior lecturer at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). In 2016, Wong became the academic director of the Master's in International Language Education (MAILE) Program - TESL stream. 

Wong is especially proud of her successful establishment of the World Masters in Language Teaching Dual Degree Program which she co-founded with the University of Southern California (USC). The program allows students to gain hands-on teaching experience and to study in Hong Kong and the United States—providing them with a truly global education.  

Her development of this program is reflective of her commitment to pedagogy and improving the student learning experience. 

"I don’t have a "one-size-fits-all" teaching philosophy. To me, it’s always important to build relationships with students and understand their needs while upholding certain standards in class," says Wong. "Education is not just about imparting knowledge but growing with the students, professionally and personally."