As a researcher of language development and disorders and a mother of two bilingual children, I am actively involved in community outreach activities to support bilingual children’s language development, educate caregivers and teachers about language disorders and advocate for bilinguals’ rights to communicate in the languages they prefer.
Together with Dr. Maria Brea, the Director of the Bilingual Extension Program at NYU, I have designed and delivered staff and caregiver training for New York City’s Early Head Start programs. The goal is to encourage low-income, low-literate caregivers to maintain their home language with their children and help them to feel confident with their language choices. My other community involvement includes providing Chinese translations of clinical information for NYU’s online and on-campus CSD programs, as well as writing popular science articles in Chinese, making scientific knowledge accessible to caregivers and professionals in China.
I am also a member of the NYU Affinity Group of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners. This is a collaboration between the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders and the Department of Teaching and Learning. Faculty members, pre- and post-doctoral researchers from both department meet on a weekly basis to discuss the best way to support learners from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, as well as culturally-responsive teaching and education.
In my past life as a university lecturer of Chinese, I also spend my leisure time as a co-founder of CiHui Chinese school that currently enrolls approximately 50 heritage Chinese-speaking children to help preserve their heritage language and identity.
Please see below for a list of my activities. I always look for ways to give back to the community and welcome any invitations for my service.
2019
Training sessions for faculty and caregivers with Dr. Maria Brea at the Early Headstart Program at University Settlement
Collaboration with Dr. Maria Brea, Ph.D., CCC-SLP.
Title: “Learning in Two Languages: Scaffolding Strategies to Support Home Language and Culture”
Popular science article to be published by Bethel Hearing and Speaking Training Center
“A Brief Review of Language Impairment and Its Implications”
Chinese translation work and on-site help for clinical immersion at Speech@NYU