Lefan Wang, Applied Linguistics MA graduate
Lefan graduated from the Applied Linguistics MA in 2019. He recently completed a PhD in English Studies, having started at our Ningbo China campus, coming over to Nottingham through the inter-campus mobility schema.
What made you want to do the Applied Linguistics MA?
"I did my undergraduate degree in modern language in China and found my interests in language learning and teaching during my undergraduate study. This led me to the field of Applied Linguistics and motivated me to pursue a master’s degree.
I ultimately chose to study at Nottingham, because I found the modules provided fit very well my interests – focusing on second language acquisition and specialising in language learning motivation research."
Which was your favourite module?
"My favourite module was 'Advanced Research Methods in Applied Linguistics', convened by the late Professor Zoltán Dörnyei. This module equipped me with the most essential methodological skills for researching applied linguistics and benefited both my MA and PhD studies in this field."
What are the main skills you gained from the MA?
"The main skills I gained are research methods for applied linguistics’ studies. They are the foundation of any further exploration in this field, as well as in broader academic works."
What was your dissertation on?
"I studied the motivational dynamics of student sojourners learning Bulgarian in Bulgaria."
What made you want to do a PhD?
"I had a goal to pursue a PhD in this area when I started my MA study, because I wished to pursue an academic career in this field and a PhD is essential. For my thesis, I studied the motivation and motivational dynamics of students learning languages other than English in China."
What additional skills have you gained from PhD level study?
"I developed my academic writing and thinking skills further, especially for academic publications."
How was the staff support at PhD level?
"I gained full support from my supervisors for not only thesis writing, but also academic networking, publication, and career development. They are my supervisors, mentors as well as role models."
Any staff shout-outs?
"I must express my every gratitude to the late Professor Zoltán Dörnyei who was my MA and PhD supervisor. His academic works laid the foundation for my studies, and his academic spirit motivated and will continue motivating my academic exploration."
What are your future career goals?
"I will soon be back to China and start my career as a university lecturer. I hope I will keep engaging with teaching and research actively and do my best to contribute to my academic discipline."
Read more about the Applied Linguistics MA