Meilan Ehlert, PhD

Sessional Lecturer

Languages and World Literatures

Office: CCS 364
Email: meilan.ehlert@ubc.ca

Research Summary

Educational sociolinguistics; multilingual literacies; plurilingualism and intercultural education; foreign language learning and teaching

Courses & Teaching

CHIN 100 Basic Chinese I; KORN 100 Basic Korean I; KORN101 Basic Korean II; WRLD 151 Introduction to Languages and Cultures – Mandarin Chinese; WRLD 152 Introduction to Languages and Cultures – Modern Korean

Biography

My focus in teaching has been on 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, 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 (2013, 2016), the conference of Celebrating Languages Without Borders (CLWB) by the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT 2020), as well as the International Conferences on Third Language Acquisition and Multilingualism (2014) and by the Applied Linguistic Association of Korea (ALAK 2018),. My recent research project focused on Trilingual Education for Minorities in China: Implications for multilingualism, language investment, and identity practice of the Japanese or English as L3 learners at a ChaoXianZu [ethnic Korean] high school.

Degrees

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

Selected Publications & Presentations

Ehlert, M.P. (2021; under peer-mentoring). ‘Multi’ as a Strategic Tool for Better Transition: Plurilingualism at an Ethnic Korean High School in China. A research paper will be published in a Special Issue in the Journal of Belonging, Identity, Language and Diversity (J-BILD).

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. Available at www.cajle.info/publications/conference-proceedings/

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 *Available to view at blogs.helsinki.fi/ije4d-journal/volume-3-2014

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.

Selected Grants & Awards

Mitacs Globalink Research Award, Canada. 2014.

Graduate Fellowship, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Simon Fraser University, Canada. 2013.

The PhD President Research Stipend, Simon Fraser University, Canada. 2012.

Graduate (International) Research Travel Award, Dean of Graduate Studies, Simon Fraser University, Canada. 2011.