Our members
Dr. Mairin Hennebry-Leung (Co-Lead)
Mairin leads LinguaLab with Dr Andy Bown. Her research explores factors that enable or constrain the development of learning environments that support multilingual and multicultural identities. This entails projects that examine sociocultural influences on language teaching and learning and on language teacher and learner motivation. Current projects involve work in the Languages space, as well as the TESOL domain. For more information on Mairin's current projects click here.
Mairin began work as a language teacher, teaching languages in school settings, and TESOL to adult learners. She has since worked as a language teacher educator in diverse contexts. Collaboration and partnership are integral to her work and to this end, she sits on the TasTESOL Committee, is a member of the MLTAT and is a critical friend to the Curriculum Lead for Languages of the Tasmanian Government’s Department of Education, Children and Young People. Mairin is Co–Editor–in–Chief for System Journal, and Co-Editor of the Edinburgh University Press Textbooks in Applied Linguistics.
Dr. Andy Bown (Co-Lead)
Andy leads LinguaLab alongside Dr Mairin Hennebry-Leung. His current research focuses on the role of technology in language learning and teaching, with a particular emphasis on supporting learners from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Andy has been involved in language teaching for over 30 years as a teacher, program manager, teacher trainer, and researcher. He sits on the state council of the Modern Language Teachers Association of Tasmania and is a member of TasTESOL.
Nita Novianti
Nita is currently a PhD student at UTAS, focusing her research on critical literacy in EFL education. She also serves as a research assistant at LinguaLab. Her other roles at UTAS include a tutor and researcher in language-related projects. Nita is also an editor for the International Journal of Education and the Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics. Before her PhD, she worked as an English lecturer in Indonesia. Her research interests include EFL language and literature learning, critical literacy, and children's literature. Nita has also translated and published children's books and teen fiction.
Dr. Darren Pullen
Darren is a Lecturer in Health Science and Information and Communications Technology in the College of Arts, Law and Education, and is currently based in the Faculty of Education. He is interested in the role that technology plays in our lives, learning and work practices; in particular the role that technology plays in health. Darren's field of study and practice has centered on working with multi-professional teams including practitioners, managers, ICT technicians and end users in effecting integrated organisational development and change.
Dr. Frances Fan
Frances is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Education, University of Tasmania. She completed her PhD at the same university in 2011, with a thesis on web-based technology supported teaching and learning in higher education. She started working in the School of Education in 2012, prior to this role, she worked as an academic researcher at the School of Medicine, University of Tasmania. Frances has a broad research interest in higher education and online pedagogy, teacher education, early childhood education, and language education. In particular, her research in online pedagogy has led to enhanced teaching practice and student learning experiences at universities. She has been involved in a number of research projects, including a national project involving four Australian universities.
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Dr. Isabel Wang
Isabel is Head of Global Cultures and Languages in the School of Humanities. Her research interests encompass Chinese and English as second/foreign languages, intercultural communication, Chinese cultural studies, educational technology, technology-enhanced language learning, and language teacher training. Through her research, she has found a significant connection between language learning and teaching, which has inspired her to enhance her teaching method.
Isabel has extensive experience teaching English and Chinese in various educational fields. As a member of the Chinese Language Teachers' Association Tasmania, she is dedicated to promoting Chinese language learning in schools, colleges, and the wider community. Isabel is also a critical friend to the Curriculum Lead for Languages of the Tasmanian Government’s Department of Education, Children and Young People.
Dr. Lucy Li
Lucy is a lecturer of Chinese in the School of Humanities. She teaches Chinese language units and translation units. Her research interests focus on teaching Chinese/English as a foreign language, pragmatics, interlanguage and intercultural pragmatics, and intercultural communication. She is also interested in technology enhanced language learning and translation studies. She is the author of Pragmatic Transfer and Development (2018). In addition, Lucy is a practicing NAATI certified professional translator between English and Chinese and interpreter between English and Mandarin.
Dr. Nadia Ollington
Dr. Stephanie Richey
Stephanie is a Lecturer in Curriculum Studies (Primary). Stephanie is interested in the provision of second language learning in schools, including students’ motivation for learning a language, and stakeholder and public perception of the Languages subject.
Her expertise/experience includes: Second language learning motivation, L2 Motivational Self System theory, Enrolment factors and barriers, and Elective subject enrolment.
David Gutteridge
David is an education professional who has worked as a TESOL teacher in Europe and Australia. In more recent times, he has worked in international education, training and management roles in vocational education and the libraries and archives sector.
David has now returned to international education in a destination marketing role. He holds a Bachelor of Education (Applied Learning) and Bachelor of Education with Professional Honours from the University of Tasmania. David also completed his Master of Education degree at the University of Tasmania in 2022 with a research project about the relative prestige of Australian English and other varieties of English in ELICOS classrooms. He has a strong interest in socio-linguistics and the different varieties of English. David is planning to undertake his PhD at UTAS in the near future.
Minh Tien Mai
Tien is a PhD candidate at the University of Tasmania thanks to the College of Arts, Law, and Education's Research Training Program. Under the supervision of Dr Mairin Hennebry-Leung, Dr Andy Bown, and Dr Zi Sang See, he has been exploring the pedagogical use of technology to motivate second/foreign language learners. His research interests include language learning motivation, teacher education and development, and computer-assisted language learning. His classroom-based and research articles can be found here.
Lan Thi Huynh
Thi is currently a PhD Candidate at the School of Education, College of Arts, Law and Education, the University of Tasmania. Her project focuses on the use of technology to support self-regulated learning of learners from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. She has a strong research interest in self-regulated learning, TESOL, educational technologies, computer-assisted language learning (CALL).
Xinrui Song (Bella)
Bella's research interest centres around heritage language maintenance. Her research interest in heritage language maintenance, particularly within the Chinese diaspora communities in English-speaking countries, developed during her four years of experience in childcare services. As she interacted with parents from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds, she became increasingly fascinated by their attitudes towards preserving heritage languages and the strategies they employed in this endeavor.
Currently, Bella is pursuing an honors degree in this field, building upon the solid foundation she gained through her Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) at UTAS, which she completed in 2020.
Hu Xiao, Amy
Amy is an assistant professor from the City University of Macau. She obtained her PhD from the University of Hong Kong, under the guidance of Dr. Mairin Hennebry-Leung, Dr. Lo Yuenyi, and Dr. Gary Harfitt. She is a passionate teacher and researcher on language education.
Since 2020, she has also served as an academic advisor to students pursuing their MA(TESOL) from the University of Hong Kong. She is also actively involved in various research programs on topics including language learning motivation, special education, teacher development, computer-assisted language learning, and English as a medium of instruction for non-language subjects.
Amy welcomes any opportunity to work with others in any of the above fields, and is always happy to share her ideas and expertise with others in the academic community.
Our partners
We value our partnerships with these organisations:
If you are interested in partnering with us, please contact us at lingualab@utas.edu.au.