Meilan Ehlert, PhD

Lecturer

Languages and World Literatures

Other Titles: Student Advisor for Chinese and Korean Courses
Office: CCS 364
Email: meilan.ehlert@ubc.ca

Research Summary

Educational sociolinguistics; multilingual literacies; plurilingualism and intercultural education; foreign language learning and teaching; Intercultural communication, context and business

Courses & Teaching

CHIN 100 101, KORN 100 101, WRLD 150, WRLD 151, WRLD 152, WRLD 382, WRLD 388

Biography

My focus in teaching has been on Intercultural Communication, East Asian studies especially about China, Korea, and Japan for undergraduate students. I facilitated workshops related to Plurilingualism and Intercultural Communication/Education for graduate students, secondary school teachers and faculty members.

My main research interest is on educational sociolinguistics, intercultural communication, multilingual literacies, plurilingualism and intercultural education, Japanese/Korean/Chinese as foreign language learning and teaching. My work was presented in various Canadian and international conferences, such as the Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE) and Comparative and International Education Society of Canada (CIESC) in the Congress of Humanity and Social Sciences, the conference of Celebrating Languages Without Borders (CLWB) by the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT), the International Conferences on Third Language Acquisition and Multilingualism, the Applied Linguistic Association of Korea (ALAK), as well as American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL).

Degrees

PhD, Simon Fraser University; M.A., Simon Fraser University; B.A., Tokyo University of Foreign Studies

Selected Publications & Presentations

Buettner, E. & Ehlert, M.P. (2024. March). Decolonizing Research: Paving the Path for Informed Insider Research. A paper will be presented in The Conference organized and hosted by American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL 2024), on March 16-19, 2024, in Houston, Texas, USA.

Ehlert, M.P. (2023). 外国語学習におけるコミュニケーション能力向上のための試み：カナダの大学初級日本語クラスの授業実験より[A pilot study of maximizing communicative competence of foreign language learners: The case of basic Japanese classes at a university in Canada]. A chapter in Japanese Language and Cultural Studies [日本语言文化研究], Volume 6 (2023.07), pp197-212. Seoul, Korea: Korean Cultural History Publishing [한국문화사]. ISBN 9791169191364 93730 *This book is published as part of  the comparative study series of Chinese, Korean and Japanese cultures [中朝韩日文化比较研究丛书].

Ehlert, M.P. (2023, May). The Plurilingual Youth in ‘Motion’: Exploring, Imagining, and Transforming. A paper presented in the Conference of Bilingualism and Multilingualism (BAM 2023) on May 13-15 in the University of British Columbia (UBC), Kelowna, BC, Canada.

Ehlert, M.P. & Buettner, E. (2023, May). Activating ‘Multi’, Empowering Insider Research: Two Examples. A paper will be presented in the Annual Conference of Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics (CAAL 2023), as part of the Congress 2023, May 27-June 2 at York University, Toronto, Canada.

Ehlert, M.P. & Buettner, E. (2023, June – Accepted but Declined). Transforming Language Learners through Authenticity, Reflexivity, and Multimodality: Introductory Korean as FL Classes at Universities in Western Canada. A paper was accepted to present in the Conference of American Association of Teachers of Korean (AATK 2023) on June 15-17 in University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. *The main theme of the conference: Transformative Language Learning through Real World Engagement.

Ehlert, M.P. (2022). Fostering Plurilingualism as a Strategic Tool for Better Learning: An Ethnic Korean High School in China. In the Journal of Belonging, Identity, Language and Diversity (J-BILD), Volume 6(1) – Special Issue, LPP2020 Part 1, pp.26-57.

Ehlert, M.P. & Nan, C.N. (2022, August). Learning as a continuing reconstruction of experience: The plurilingual learners from Chinese/English as foreign language classes in higher education – Canada and China. A paper presented in the Multidisciplinary Approaches in Language Policy and Planning Conference (LPP 2022), August 25-27, 2022 at McGill University’s Faculty of Education, Montréal, Canada.

Ehlert, M. P. (2021, August). ‘Multi’ as a Strategic Tool for Better Transition: Plurilingualism at an Ethnic Korean High School in China. A paper presented in 2021 Multidisciplinary Approaches in Language Policy and Planning Conference (LPP2021), August 20-22, 2021 at McGill University’s Faculty of Education, in Montréal Canada.

Ehlert, M.P. (2020, October). Translanguaging as Creative Ways to Learn, Share & Transform: “Fall in love at first sight” (Korean Youth learning a L3 in China). A paper presented in 2020 National Conference for Second Language Educators – Celebrating Languages Without Borders (CLWB), hosted and organized by Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT) on October 22 – 24 in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

Ehlert, M.P. (2019). Maximizing Communicative Competence of Foreign Language Learners in Academy: Examples of the Japanese as FL learners from Vancouver Canada. A paper presented at, and published as Conference Proceedings for, the 6th Annual Conference of Canadian Association of Japanese Language and Education (CAJLE, 2019), August 6-7, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada. 10 pages.

Boschman, L. & Ehlert, M. (2016). Expanding Linguistic, Cultural and Literacies Toolkits: Engaging Diversity in Traditional and Virtual Learning Spaces. In the International Journal of Communications and Linguistic Studies, 14 (2), 35-47. ISSN: 2327-7882. Doi: 10.18848/2327-7882/CGP/v14i02

Zheng, X.R. & Ehlert, M.P. (2015). ‘‘Huayiting” [화이팅]?!] Plurilingualism in Foreign Language Education: Exploring the Strategies. In the TEAL Manitoba Journal (Fall 2015). Vol.31 (1), 11-34.

Ehlert, M.P. & Moore, D. (2014). Navigating and reconfiguring the “multi” in Languages and Identities: Six Chao Xian Zu [ethnic Korean Chinese] teenagers in Beijing, China. International Journal of Education for Diversities (IJE4D), Vol.3 (2014), pp. 149- 183

Ehlert, M.P. & Boschman, L. (2014). ‘Plurilinguals in Motion’: Engaging Diverse Community? SFU Ed Review 2014, Vo.1 (2014). 5 pages. Retrieved on Jan 5, 2015 from www.sfuedreview.org

Ehlert, M.P. (2013). Activating or Devaluing? EAL Learners and Teachers in Cross-fire: A Qualitative Pilot Study on the Use of Home Language(s) at High Schools in the Greater Vancouver. TEAL Manitoba Journal, Vol. 29, No. 1 – Sept 2013, pp. 3-16

Ehlert, M.P. (2011). Multilingualism and Language Practice of Minority Youths in China: A Case Study of Ethnic Korean Teenagers in Beijing. Berlin: LAP Academic Publishing.