December 18, 2025 (Thursday), 12:00-13:00 (EST, Montreal)
SIYUAN LI
ABSTRACT
From the late 1990s to 2010, Spain became one of the principal destinations for international adoptions from China. Upon arrival, these adopted children usually ceased using their birth language and rapidly shifted to Spanish. Prior research has emphasized childhood and school-age development, institutional effects, and determinants of language acquisition, but far less is known about adoptees’ later engagement with birth-language relearning. This study examines why these Chinese adoptees in Spain make their decisions to relearn their birth-language and how they approach the process. It focuses on the perspectives of Chinese adoptees who are currently or have previously been enrolled in Chinese-language programs. The project employs semi-structured interviews with 20–30 participants and a qualitative multiple-case design supported by thematic analysis. It (i) identifies key motivations shaping Chinese adoptees’ persistence or discontinuation in birth-language learning, (ii) analyzes the link with family language policy and practices of "culture keeping", and (iii) examines how individual trajectories are shaped by institutional support, community resources, and the availability of language programs.
ZIHAN LIAO
ABSTRACT
My research aims to co-construct knowledge about gender-inclusive language with in-service English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) teachers in China through collaborative inquiry. Gender-inclusive language refers to consciously making linguistic choices that represent and respect all genders to promote gender equality. While such language use has become more common in English-speaking contexts, EFL educators in China may not be fully aware of these changes, as inclusive language is rarely addressed in textbooks or classroom instruction. The Chinese EFL context remains underexplored and offers valuable insights into how teachers perceive and construct gender-inclusive language before it is formally introduced into the curriculum. Moreover, Mandarin Chinese already contains many gender-neutral nouns and generics, placing Chinese EFL teachers at a unique intersection where they can draw on their multilingual repertoire to contribute to global discussions on inclusivity. In this study, teachers actively construct knowledge rather than passively participate in academic research. The collaborative inquiry (CI) process consists of three stages: (1) semi-structured interviews to establish a baseline of teachers’ beliefs and attitudes about gender-inclusive language; (2) focus group discussions where participants collaboratively collect and evaluate teaching materials and design language tasks; and (3) follow-up interviews to reflect on the CI process and explore how their beliefs and knowledge have evolved.
Language of presentation: English, with examples in other languages
Mode of delivery: synchronous via Zoom
Registration required. Please click here.
The Grad Talks provide opportunities for graduate students (MA thesis and PhD) who are conducting research on language education and applied linguistics to showcase their work and receive constructive feedback. It also gives students an opportunity to build community of like-minded people, make connections, and network. Students can choose to present work at different stages of their research: initial, ongoing or completed.
Typically, graduate students have 20 minutes to do an informal presentation about a chosen topic followed by a 40-minute discussion with the audience. The talk can be guided by a Power Point presentation or an outline. The Grad Talks are delivered via Zoom (not video recorded) and they take place on Thursdays at a time that is convenient for you. This event is hosted by McGill University’s Faculty of Education. If you're interested in presenting at Grad Talks, contact Li Peng at li.peng2 [at] mail.mcgill.ca.
Grad Talks Team
Li Peng: Organizer
Laura Uribe Valencia & Yunjia Xie: Host
Angelica Galante: Coordinator
Grad Talks is sponsored by the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance, and co-organized by the BILD Research Group and McGill's Department of Integrated Studies in Education (DISE).
