BA Shandong MA Guangdong MEd Halifax PhD Guangdong

Research interests: Chinese as a foreign language; linguistics

Yue Ma, (b. 1959 in Shandong, China), currently head of Chinese section at School of Languages and Literatures, UCT (since 2015), graduated with BA in English language and literature from Shandong Normal University in 1982, MA in linguistics and applied linguistics at Guangzhou Institute of Foreign Languages in 1987, Masters of Education (MEd) degree (curriculum and instruction) with the award of a University Gold Medal from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada in 1990 and PhD in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in 2001 and sponsored by China Scholarship Council as a visiting scholar to Teachers College, Columbia University from January to July 2004. Awarded the title of “Guangdong’s New Elite in Education” by Guangdong Provincial Department of Higher Education in 1994. Having worked as Associate Professor and Deputy Chair of Department of Bilingual Secretarial Studies (1992-1995) at Guangzhou Institute of Foreign Languages, and then as Deputy Dean (2000-2006) and Associate Professor of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics at College of Chinese Language and Culture, and Deputy Director of Jinan University Centre for International Chinese Language & Culture Programs (2007-2014), coordinating the university’s MTCSOL degree program, overseas Chinese teacher volunteers program and Confucius Institute projects sponsored by both Hanban and Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China. Seconded by Jinan University and Hanban as the Chinese Director of Confucius Institute at Rhodes University and appointed by Rhodes University as the Subject Head and Professor of Chinese at the Chinese Section, School of Languages of Rhodes University (2009-2014) before joining UCT.

Starting with second language education as a career since 1982, major research interests have remained in the field of applied linguistics, such as psycholinguistics and second language teaching and learning, both ESL/EFL and CSL/CFL. Current research interests focus on how to improve the efficiency of learning Chinese as a foreign language in a context where the language and cultural environment is absent. Teaching experience includes ESL/EFL and CSL/CFL teacher training and a wide range of theoretical (linguistics and applied linguistics) and practical (language learning) courses.

Social responsibilities in South Africa since 2009 include work as the external examiner of Mandarin Chinese courses for University of Stellenbosch (2011-2013, 2018 - ) , UNISA (2012-2014, 2018- ), Rhodes University (2018 - ), and for the Chinese undergraduate program at the University of Zimbabwe (2012-2014, 2015-2018); teacher training lectures to the local Chinese teachers of the University of Zimbabwe and Chinese teacher trainees from the local teachers’ training institute (2014); reviewer (2010) for the journal of African Diaspora to review a journal article; external marker for the translation course (2012) and later on as co-supervisor for a master’s student (2013 – 2015) at the University of Free State; and reviewer and oral examination panel member for a Masters thesis from a student in the field of education at Stellenbosch University.

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