[15 Dec Seminar] Developing Multilingual Selves: Experiences of Multiple Language Learners in English Language-dominant Higher Education
Dear Colleagues and Students,
You are cordially invited to attend the seminar on Developing Multilingual Selves: Experiences of Multiple Language Learners in English Language-dominant Higher Education, organised by the Graduate School (GS).
Details are as follows:
| Date | 15 December 2025 (Monday) |
| Time | 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM |
| Venue | D1-LP-06, Tai Po Campus, EdUHK |
| Speakers | Dr Mi Yung PARK Chair of Asian Studies Associate Professor, University of Auckland, New Zealand Associate Editor, Journal of Multilingual Theories and Practices |
| Registration | Register HERE *Please register by 12 December 2025 (Friday). |
About Speaker
Dr Mi Yung PARK is Chair of Asian Studies and Associate Professor at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She researches language, migration, and identity with a focus on the language maintenance of Asian languages and linguistic discrimination in Asia and New Zealand. She is Associate Editor of the Journal of Multilingual Theories and Practices.
Abstract:
Learners’ experiences with studying multiple foreign languages remain underexplored in applied linguistics. This study draws on interviews with university students in New Zealand to examine their motivations and self-perceptions as multilingual language learners. Using Yashima’s (2002) concept of international posture and Fisher et al.’s (2022) multilingual identity model, findings show that students often framed multilingualism as part of a cosmopolitan identity—symbolizing global citizenship, open-mindedness, and cultural sophistication. Their language learning was fuelled by cultural curiosity and the vision of an ideal multilingual self. However, aspirations were also constrained by broader ideologies and sociocultural realities, such as the dominance of English in New Zealand, racialized perceptions of language use, and critical self- and other-evaluations of competence. These dynamics mediated student engagement and limited the fuller development of their multilingual identities. The study thus highlights the complex negotiation of motivation, ideology, and lived experience(s) in shaping cosmopolitan multilingual selves in English language-dominant higher education.
We look forward to seeing you there!
All are welcome.
Best regards,
Graduate School
