A/Prof. Shen Chen

Biography

I received my undergraduate teacher education in Nanjing Normal University (1977) in China and was awarded a research degree of Ph.D in La Trobe University (1990), Australia. My teaching career has lasted for more than thirty years, working in a secondary school and a teacher training university in China before teaching in an Australian secondary school and lecturing in a number of Australian universities (Melbourne, Deakin and Newcastle).

Since 1993, I have been working in the University of Newcastle. In 1998, I was invited to do research and teach at U.C. Berkeley, USA. In the same year I was invited as a visiting professor to teach in the summer school at UBC, Canada as well as a visiting professor at the University of Hong Kong. In 1999, I was awarded Honorary Professor in the College of International Education at Nanjing Normal University, China for the contribution to international exchange and collaborative research. In 2002, I was awarded a visiting fellowship at University of Cambridge. After a year, I was awarded Life Member of Clare Hall at University of Cambridge, UK. In addition, I was a visiting professor at Nanjing University (2006) and Beijing Language and Culture University (2009) in China.

In the last two decades, I have published numerous journal articles and conference papers in the field of language education and international education. My four research books are (1) The Teaching of Cultures in Foreign Language Education (2) Research on strategies for Teaching Culture and Language (3) Studying overseas and (4) Learning Strategies in a Multicultural Environment. In addition, my Chinese book A Reflection of International Education has also attracted thousands of readers in China.

My major contribution has been in the research of teaching Languages other than English, ESL/EFL and international education. I have won an International Teaching Fellowship Award from Victoria Government and an Award for Excellence in Teaching from the University of Newcastle. My international profile and the recognition of my work as a researcher, scholar and teacher have attracted a large number of undergraduate and postgraduate students from overseas, particularly from Asia. Research students who have successfully completed their Ph.D theses under my supervision are now outstanding university academics in Australia, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, PNG and other Asian countries.

Qualifications

• PhD, La Trobe University, 1991

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Research

Research keywords

• Language education, Strategies of teaching culture and language. Intercultural communication, International education.

Research expertise

Culture in Foreign Language Education

Computer Assisted Language Learning

Intercultural Communication

International Education

Language Teacher Training

Languages

• Chinese, Nec
• Japanese

Fields of Research

Code	Description	Percentage
130302	Comparative And Cross-Cultural Education	45
080699	Information Systems Not Elsewhere Classified	35
130199	Education Systems Not Elsewhere Classified	20

Memberships

Committee/Associations (relevant to research).

• American Association of Applied Linguistics
• Applied Linguistics Association of Australia
• Australian Association for Research in Education
• Executive Committee Member - Chinese Studies Association of Australia
• Sub-Commitee (teacher education) member - International Association of TESOL

Appointments

Commitee member and Vet Victoria Curriculum Assessment Board (VCAB), Victoria (Australia)	01/01/1992 - 01/12/1993
Consultant Hunter Regional Office, NSW Department of Education and Training (Australia)	01/10/1994 - 01/11/1994
Advisor Beijing Language and Culture University Press in publishing textbooks designed for international students (China)	01/01/1996
External reviewer on language programs (BA/BEd) Deakin University, 2000. (Australia)	01/06/2000 - 01/08/2000
Invited specialist Course Assessment Committee for the reaccreditation of the MEd (TESOL)Avondale College, NSW (Australia)	01/02/2002 - 01/03/2002
Invited member NSW consulting group for Student Learning and Support Services Taskforce (Language Project), MCEETYA. (Australia)	01/01/2003 - 01/12/2003
Advisor Beijing Language and Culture University Press in publishing textbooks designed for international students (China)	01/01/2007

Awards

Distinction.

1985	La Trobe University Postgraduate Scholarship La Trobe University (Australia)
1983	International Teaching Fellowship Award Government of Victoria, (Australia)

Recognition.

2003	Life Member Clare Hall, University of Cambridge (United Kingdom)
1998	Award for Excellence in Teaching The University of Newcastle (Australia)

Invitations

Australia-China Initiatives: ESL Teacher Training - International Symposium on Co-operative Education in Languages Centre of Intercultural Language Studies, UBC, Vancouver, Canada (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2003
Post-structurism and EFL Teaching Beijing University, Beijing, China (Conference Presentation - non published.)	1994
Second Language Teaching in the Australian Cultural Context International Symposium University of Oxford, United Kingdom (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2000
Three Paradigms of Teaching Culture in ESL Programs University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (Conference Presentation - non published.)	1995

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Administrative

Administrative expertise

Program Convenors

(Master of Educational Studies - TESOL)

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Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Language education including TESOL, LOTE teacher training in undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Also for Education foundation courses such as "the context of teaching" etc.

Teaching expertise

Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Languages

Teaching Chinese as a Second/Foreign Language

TESOL/LOTE Curriculum and Methodology

English for Special Purposes

Assessment and Evaluation

Intercultural communication

Teaching interests

• TESOL Curriculum and Methodology
• English for Specific Purposes
• Language Testing
• Intercultural Communication through English
• Cultural Variations in Language Learning
• Professional Studies in LOTE Teacher Training

Programs

• Master of Educational Studies (TESOL)
• Master of Teaching
• Bachelor of Teaching / Bachelor of Arts

Courses

• EDUC6025 - TESOL Curriculum and Methodology
• EDUC6124 - English For Specific Purposes
• EDUC6122 - Language Testing in TESOL