Xiaofang Yao

After working as an English teacher in China, Xiaofang Yao wanted to enhance her understanding of the theory behind linguistics and applied linguistics. She chose the University of Melbourne’s Master of Applied Linguistics for its robust theoretical and practical foundation for graduates who are already working or seeking to work in areas of language testing and English teaching in adult and tertiary education settings, as well as in related fields of interpreting and translating, language program design and evaluation, and language policy. 

"I liked the language testing and assessment, second language acquisition, and quantitative research methods in applied linguistics," Yao explains. 

"For all these courses, I remember sitting in a computer lab, doing group work with my fellow students. This kind of group work was engaging and helped me to collaborate with other students. It helped me consolidate my understanding of those courses, so I valued that experience."

The MAppLing concludes with a semester-long industry-based project in which students apply their specialised knowledge to develop and/or evaluate a language learning program, an assessment tool, and/or resources to support workplace English language skills. These projects are conducted in collaboration with external organisations such as the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Gadjah Mada in Indonesia. 

What’s just as profound to Yao was the guidance she received from her teachers. Associate Professor Carsten Roever, for example, who taught all three courses that she enjoyed, was "very articulate", making his lectures easy to follow. She also valued the exercises Roever curated.