Zhen Yang
PhD Translation & Transcultural Studies
Email: zhen.yang.3@warwick.ac.uk
About
I'm a PhD student in Translation and Transcultural Studies at the University of Warwick, under the supervision of Prof. Alison Ribeiro de Menezes and Prof. Jo AngouriLink opens in a new window (Department of Applied Linguistics).
Research
My PhD project is a Collaborative Doctoral Award funded by Midland4Cities. The project is in partnership with a London-based NGO named ReConnect, which supports refugees’ educational and professional opportunities.
The project investigates how highly skilled refugees in the UK use storytelling as a strategic tool to construct their identities and challenge dominant discourses.
Research Interests
Interactional sociolinguistics; migration and multiculturalism; identity construction; refugee education and support
Educational Background
M.A. King's College London, Language & Culture Diversity, 2020
B.A. Shanxi University, Translation Studies, 2019
Scholarships and Awards
Midlands4Cities AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Studentship Award (2021-2025)
Professional Activities
- September 2024- present Mentee of Review of Education 'Behind the Scenes' Early Career Researcher (ECR) Mentorship Scheme
- October 2023-present Project Officer of Migration, Identity and Translation Network (MITN)
- June 2023 Committee member (Registration/submission & Keynote/workshop Speakers) of 25th Warwick International Conference in Applied Linguistics (WICAL)
Conference Presentations
- 14th International and Interdisciplinary Conference on Applied Linguistics and Professional Practice (ALAPP),17th – 19th December 2024, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong kong, China
Beyond English and Integration: Narratives of Language Learning, Asylum, and Employment Among Highly-Skilled Refugees in the UK
- British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL) 2024 Conference, 5-7 September, University of Essex, UK
Beyond English and Integration: A Case Study of Multilingual Refugees' Language Attitudes, Motivations and Identity Negotiation in the UK
- American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) 2024 Conference, 16-19 March, Houston,Texas, USA
"Names and Identity": Empowering Refugees via Storytelling of Name-related Experiences in Class Activities
- 24th Warwick International Conference in Applied Linguistics(WICAL 2022), 28-30 June, Univeristy of Warwick, UK(online)
Refugee Narratives: World University Service’s Ethiopian and Eritrean Scholarship Programmes in the Light of Current Practice
- University of Warwick: School of Modern Languages and Cultures Postgraduate Symposium 26th May 2022, (online)
Refugee Narratives: World University Service’s Ethiopian and Eritrean Scholarship Programmes in the Light of Current Practice
Publications
Book Review
Yang, Z. (2025). Multilingual crisis communication: insights from China: edited by Jia Li and Jie Zhang, Abingdon and New York, Routledge, 2025. Social Semiotics, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1080/10350330.2025.2492178
Teaching
- Associate tutor for the Research Methods sessions for MA & MSc students of the Applied Linguistics (2022-2023)
Memberships
- Migration, Identity and Translation Network (MITN)
- Borders, Race, Ethnicity and Migration Network (BREM)
Public Engagement Activities
- Impact Report: The ReConnect PGCE Programme 2005-2021. Report to the ReConnect
- Presentation of the Impact Report on the World Refugee Week Event, 19th June 2023, Institute of Education, UCL