Yilin is a first-year DPhil student in Applied Linguistics and Language Education at the University of Oxford. Her research lies at the intersection of critical applied linguistics and the sociology of education, focusing on Global Englishes, native-speakerism, identity and investment in language learning, and educational inequality.
Her work primarily examines English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts in Chinese higher education, guided by an empathetic awareness of individuals navigating structural pressures. Her master’s research investigated Chinese university students’ pursuit of native-like English accents, uncovering the sociocultural and institutional forces shaping their linguistic choices. She is committed to bridging global frameworks with local cultural and institutional contexts, generating insights that are grounded and situated.
Before joining Oxford, Yilin earned a BA in English at Beijing Institute of Technology, where her curiosity about language and learning led her to explore educational psychology through additional coursework and research at the THBI Child Cognition Centre, Tsinghua University. She later completed an MA in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics at Beijing Foreign Studies University, where her focus shifted towards sociocultural and qualitative approaches to English education in China. Expanding her engagement in the social sciences, she served as a Communications Fellow at the United Nations University Institute in Macau, facilitating research communication and conference organisation on AI and the SDGs.
Currently, Yilin is involved in EdUHK–UCL collaborative projects on critical AI literacies and language teacher education. She is also one of eight Asian recipients of the 2024 AILA Solidarity Award from the International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA).