Introducing Yang Zhang

From Fernando: It’s always great to be able to work with people who take their chosen field very seriously. Yang, who made the move from China to the UK to study applied linguistics, is one of these people. For that I give her a lot of respect.

Fernando: If you were to learn to do anything, what would it be?

Yang : If I were to choose something to learn, it would be composing. I’ve been learning Chinese musical instruments since I was six and when I lived in Lancaster I met many talented British musicians. We collaboratively worked on a concert and they composed wonderful hybrid music, blending Chinese music with other genres. It felt amazing! I really want to learn composing to introduce people to modern ‘traditional’ Chinese music.

Fernando: What person has taught you the most?

Yang : It is hard to say exactly ‘who’ has taught me the most. I believe that everyone comes into your life for a reason and it’s hard to say what particular thing constitutes ‘the most’… It’s a difficult question for me to answer!

Fernando: What’s the most interesting article, blog or book you’ve read recently?

Recently, I’ve re-read a bunch of articles and books by Deborah Cameron. I felt I had to revisit my PhD topic: the relationship between language, gender and society. Her books now also make me think about Eggbun; particularly how language intertwines with technology and identity construction in different contexts for particular purposes.

Fernando: Have you been in any situations where you have found it challenging to communicate with others?

Yang : Yes, communication with others (peers and professors alike) was a challenge when I first started out as a PhD student. Later, I realised the main reason for that was self-doubt. I thought too much and felt too lost to develop my thoughts. I then realised that the key point of communication is to share ideas, so presenting your ideas in a clear way is good enough.

Fernando: Can you tell me about some places that you’ve lived in or travelled to? Is there anywhere that you’ve particularly enjoyed?

Yang : I lived in Yunnan until I was 18. As a place home to 26 ethnic minorities, I was exposed to a multilingual and multi-ethnic environment as I grew up. I then went to Beijing for university and left when I was 22 years old. I have been in the UK for almost five years now and I mostly travel in China and Europe. If I had to name a place that I really enjoyed, I would have to say anywhere with hot springs!