khychen@um.edu.mo
Tel
(853) 8822 4505
Office
E7-2023
Consultation Hours
Monday 2:30-4:30 pm
Katherine Hoi Ying CHEN
Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics
.
Introduction
My research and teaching centre on mindfulness. I investigate how mindfulness practices improve wellbeing and learning in higher education and healthcare through innovative methods in linguistic anthropology. My research bridges linguistics and contemplative science to understand mechanisms of therapeutic change, a distinctive approach that contributes novel insights to both fields. My current projects include:
1. Online mindfulness intervention for postgraduate wellbeing in Macau and Hong Kong: An RCT demonstrating significant improvements in student mental health (published in BMC Psychology, 2025)
2. Mindfulness-integrated language instruction: How contemplative practices reduce foreign language anxiety in university classrooms
3. Corpus and discourse analysis of MBCT trials: How therapists facilitate psychological change through language
Before joining the University of Macau, I researched and taught Sociolinguistics while supervising PhD students at the University of Hong Kong. Prior to that, I conducted research and taught Linguistics at the University of Michigan, where I also trained international PhD students to teach effectively in English-medium classrooms.
PhD Supervision
My research focuses on mindfulness and its applications, using qualitative approaches in linguistic anthropology and sociocultural linguistics. I welcome PhD applications aligned with these areas for the 2027/28 academic year (application period: August–October 2026) via the UM Graduate School.
Education
PhD & MA Linguistics, University of Michigan
MPhil & BA (Hons) English, University of Hong Kong
Trained Mindfulness Teacher qualification:
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Life (MBCT-L) Teacher Training, Trauma-sensitive Mindfulness Training, Oxford Mindfulness
Interpersonal Mindfulness Program (IMP) teacher training, Association pour le Développement de la Mindfulness
Deeper Mindfulness Teacher Training, Mindfulness Network
Teaching and Supervision
PhD Supervision (PhD in English Linguistics) graduated: Leslie Li (2025). Ongoing: Titus Tan, and Hazel Yang.
UM Credit-bearing courses:
- EELC2011 English Speaking for Academic Research
- EELC1003 Academic English
- HONR1000 Honours Project
Mindfulness courses (MBCT curriculum):
- Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a Frantic World (8-week course for postgraduate students in Macau U and HKU)
- Introduction to Mindfulness (3-week course for students in Macau U, for postgraduate students and faculty in Michigan U)
- University of Macau Multi-Year Research Grant (MYRG-GRG Level II). A Discourse Analysis of Inquiry in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy. PI.
- Macao SAR Government DSEDJ Specialized Subsidy Scheme for Macao Higher Education Institutions in the Area of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences of Higher Education Fund. Discourse Analysis of Mindfulness-based Intervention. PI.
- Hong Kong SAR Government Research Grants Council General Research Fund (GRF), and University of Hong Kong Seed Funding. Ethnography of Indonesian Chinese Transnationals. PI.
- Hong Kong SAR Government Research Grants Council General Research Fund (GRF), and University of Hong Kong Seed Funding. Multilingual transnationals in Hong Kong. PI.
Chen, K. 2025 “Mindfulness Workshop: React vs Response”. AsiaTEFL 2025 Conference, the Education University of Hong Kong.
Chen, K. 2024 “Mindfulness: Resilience and Mental Well-Being for Grad Students”. Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan.
Chen, K. 2023 “Creating a positive classroom climate and inspiring learning with mindfulness” Keynote, the 6th CLE Conference on Teaching and Learning, Southern University of Science and Technology.
Chen, K. 2022 “Mindfulness for wellbeing and English language teaching: an exploration” Public Lecture, Department of English Language Education, The Education University of Hong Kong.
Chen, K. and Xu, JQ. 2025 “How Mindfulness Intervention can transform reactivity and reduce emotional disturbances for Research Postgraduate Students in Hong Kong and Macau” AsiaTEFL 2025 Conference, the Education University of Hong Kong.
Chen, K. and Xu, JQ. 2024 “Transforming Reactivity: A Discourse Analysis of Mindfulness Insights in MBI Classes” International Conference of Mindfulness, University of Bangor.
Xu, JQ and Chen, K. 2024 “Transformative Power of Online Mindfulness Training for Research Postgraduate Students: A Mixed Methods Randomized Controlled Trial” International Conference of Mindfulness, University of Bangor.
Yang, H. and Chen, K. 2024 “Reducing foreign language anxiety in a mindfulness-integrated university English classroom: An ethnographic observation” Poster. International Conference of Mindfulness, University of Bangor.
Xu, JQ and Chen, K. 2022 “Effects of an eight-week online mindfulness program on wellbeing in research postgraduate students: preliminary quantitative and qualitative results from a randomized controlled trial” International Mindfulness Conference Asia Pacific, University of Melbourne.
Xu, JQ., Tang, YM.J. & Chen, K. (2025) Impact of an Online Mindfulness-Based Program on Wellbeing and Trait Mindfulness for Research Postgraduate Students: A Randomized-Controlled Trial. BMC Psychology 13, 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-02233-3. SJR Q1.
Chen, K (2018) Ideologies of Language Standardization: The Case of Cantonese in Hong Kong. In James Tollefson and Miguel Pérez-Milans (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Language Policy and Planning. UK: Oxford University Press.
Chen, K (2016) The transnational journey and multilingual repertoire of an Indonesian Chinese couple in Hong Kong: the story of one family, three places, and multiple languages. In Li Wei (ed.) Multilingualism and the Chinese diaspora, pp. 237-254. UK: Routledge.
Chen, K (2015) Styling bilinguals: Analyzing structurally distinctive code-switching styles in Hong Kong. In Gerald Stell and Kofi Yakpo (eds.) Code-switching at the crossroads between structural and socio-linguistic perspectives. pp.163-183. Germany: Mouton de Gruyter.
Chen, K & Kang, A (2015) Demeanor indexicals, interpretive discourses and the “Kong Girl” stereotype: Constructing gender ideologies in social media. The Journal of Language and Sexuality. Issue 4:2. pp. 193-222. USA: John Benjamins Publishing Co. SJR Q1.
Academic visitor, University of Oxford Mindfulness and Psychological Science Research Centre (2025 – present)
Honorary Associate Professor, University of Hong Kong School of English (2018 – present)
Teaching Excellence Award, University of Hong Kong Faculty of Arts
Barbour Scholar, University of Michigan
Michigan Teaching Fellow, University of Michigan
Linguistic Society of America Institute Fellow
Director of ELC (June 2018 – June 2025)
Joint Admission Examination for Macao Four Higher Education Institution English paper UM chief examiner (2018 – 2025).
CET 4&6 UM deputy chief examiner (2018-2020).
Academic community services:
Grant proposal reviewer: Hong Kong RGC
Routledge book proposal reviewer
Journal reviewer: Mindfulness, Language in Society, Journal of Sociolinguistics, Applied Linguistics, International Journal of Bilingualism, AILA Review, Multilingua, World Englishes, Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, Springer Encyclopedia of Language and Education, Sage Ethnicities, UCLA Issues in Applied Linguistics.