REACHing Beyond: Conversations on Language and Literacy Research Methods and Methodologies

The Research Engagement and Collaboration Hub, Department of Language and Literacy Education, UBC
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Welcome to REACHing Beyond: Conversations on Language and Literacy Research Methods and Methodologies. This is a podcast from the Research Engagement and Collaboration Hub (REACH). We are associated with the Digital Literacy Centre of the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia, Canada. The university is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Musqueam peoples. Conceived with the mission to diversify and broaden learning, exchange, and research opportunities, REACH is dedicated to advancing the knowledge and comprehension of research methodologies and methods, specifically within the domains of literacy and language education, among LLED community members and beyond. This podcast extends conversations from our REACH workshops, where our guest speakers, who are faculty members and students, reflect on questions, insights, and ideas that emerge from our shared explorations of research methodologies and methods.

Episodes

  1. FEB 2

    Beyond Either–Or: Conducting and Disseminating Mixed Methods Research

    Guest Speakers: Dr. Guofang Li is a Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Transnational and Global Perspectives of Language and Literacy Education of Children and Youth at the University of British Columbia. Her research examines the language and literacy development of multilingual children and youth in transnational and immigrant contexts. She focuses on bilingualism, biliteracy, digital literacies, technology-supported language instruction, and equity-oriented teacher education through longitudinal and cross-cultural studies. Dr. Lee Gunderson is a Professor in Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia. He focuses on second-language literacy, multilingual learning, and academic achievement of multilingual and immigrant students through longitudinal and large-scale studies. Dr. Gunderson has published widely and has earned major honors in the field, including induction into the Reading Hall of Fame. Host: The Research Engagement and Collaboration Hub (REACH), the Department of Language and Literacy Education, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia. Host in This Episode: Dr. Melanie Wong is an Associate Professor of Teaching in the University of British Columbia Department of Language and Literacy Education. She is a former K-12 educator. Her research explores the experiences of K-12 English Language Learners in technology-enhanced settings. Aika Ishige is a Ph.D. Student in the Department of Language and Literacy Education, the University of British Columbia. Her research interests encompass race, identity, multiculturalism, and critical pedagogy. Her dissertation project examines the majority-group students’ awareness of privilege in the context of multicultural education in Japan. She has worked as a lecturer at a university in Japan for several years before her Ph.D. This episode builds on our earlier REACH workshop, “Beyond Either–Or: Conducting and Disseminating Mixed Methods Research,” where Dr. Guofang Li and Dr. Lee Gunderson helped deepen the themes we explored together and shared personal stories about how they entered the world of mixed methods research. We are grateful for their contributions in co-designing and leading that session, and are honored to host this dialogue that continues and expands their conversation.

    19 min
  2. Conundrums in Case Study Research

    JAN 23

    Conundrums in Case Study Research

    Host: The Research Engagement and Collaboration Hub (REACH), the Department of Language and Literacy Education, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia. Host in This Episode: Dr. Melanie Wong is an Associate Professor of Teaching in the University of British Columbia Department of Language and Literacy Education. She is a former K-12 educator. Her research explores the experiences of K-12 English Language Learners in technology-enhanced settings. Aika Ishige is a Ph.D. Student in the Department of Language and Literacy Education, the University of British Columbia. Her research interests encompass race, identity, multiculturalism, and critical pedagogy. Her dissertation project examines the majority-group students’ awareness of privilege in the context of multicultural education in Japan. She has worked as a lecturer at a university in Japan for several years before her Ph.D. In this episode, hosts and the facilitators of the REACH workshop “Conundrums in Case Study Research,” Dr. Melanie Wong and Aika Ishige further explore the themes that emerged during the session and reflect on their work on the case study research. We’re grateful for the active engagement of the participating audience during the workshop. ** There were no guest speakers in this session.

    19 min

  3. 12/16/2025

    Nothing, Anything, and Everything: Introducing Postqualitative Research through Conversation

    Host: The Research Engagement and Collaboration Hub (REACH), the Department of Language and Literacy Education, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia. Dr. Kristiina Kumpulainen is a Professor and Head of the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia. Her research scholarship is grounded on relational and cultural-historical inquiries into communication, learning and education to better understand how social, historical, political, cultural and material contexts open and/or disclose educational opportunities for diverse learners. Dr. Melanie Wong is an Associate Professor of Teaching in the University of British Columbia Department of Language and Literacy Education. She is a former K-12 educator. Her research explores the experiences of K-12 English Language Learners in technology-enhanced settings. Dr. Zhen Lin recently completed her PhD in the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests include bilingual and biliteracy education, early bi/multilingual development, heritage language maintenance for immigrant children and youth, and multimodality. Especially, inspired by materialism, posthumanism, and post-qualitative research methodology, her recent SSHRC-funded doctoral research investigates resources and practices for the heritage literacy development of young immigrants in and outside home contexts. Ziwen Mei is a Ph.D. Candidate in Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia. Her work focuses on multilingual and multicultural education, particularly with children and families from disadvantaged backgrounds. Her doctoral research examines family language policy, deterritorialization, and the intersections of social class and rural–urban labour migration in China. This episode takes shape from the earlier REACH workshop, “Nothing, Anything, and Everything: Introducing Postqualitative Research through Conversation,” during which Dr. Kristiina Kumpulainen, Dr. Zhen Lin, Dr. Melanie Wong and Ziwen Mei (Ph.D Candidate) helped advance the discussion and deepen the ideas we explored together. We are excited to extend this conversation.

    37 min

  4. 12/01/2025

    Multiscalar approaches to ethnographic research in applied linguistics

    Guest Speakers: Dr. Patricia (Patsy) Duff is a Professor of Applied Linguistics and Distinguished University Scholar in the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia. Patsy’s main scholarly interests are related to language socialization across bilingual and multilingual settings; qualitative research methods in applied linguistics (especially case study and ethnography); issues in the teaching, learning, and use of English, Mandarin, and other international and heritage languages in transnational contexts. Masaru Yamamoto is an Applied Linguist and a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia. His research interests include multilingual socialization, language learner identity and agency, (dys)investment, and (non-)participation in postsecondary settings, integrating ethnographic case study and other methodological approaches, such as multimodal interaction analysis and social network analysis. Host: The Research Engagement and Collaboration Hub (REACH), the Department of Language and Literacy Education, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia. Host in This Episode: Ziwen Mei is a Ph.D. Candidate in Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia. Her work focuses on multilingual and multicultural education, particularly with children and families from disadvantaged backgrounds. Her doctoral research examines family language policy, deterritorialization, and the intersections of social class and rural–urban labour migration in China. This episode grows out of the earlier REACH workshop, “Multiscalar approaches to ethnographic research in applied linguistics: Focal activities, discourse and analysis,” where Dr. Patricia Duff and Masaru Yamamoto helped push the conversation forward and deepen the themes we explored together. We’re thankful for their role in co-designing and leading that session, and for shaping the dialogic space that now enables this extended conversation.

    16 min

  5. 11/21/2025

    Insider, Outsider, In-Between: Navigating Positionality in Ethnographic Research

    Guest Speaker: Senyao Shen is a Ph.D. Candidate in the University of British Columbia Department of Language and Literacy Education. Her research explores socialization among Chinese families in Metro Vancouver and the interplay of English, Chinese regional dialects, and Mandarin. She holds an MA in Linguistics from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and a BA in Translation from Nankai University. Host: The Research Engagement and Collaboration Hub (REACH), the Department of Language and Literacy Education, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia. Host in This Episode: Dr. Melanie Wong is an Associate Professor of Teaching in the University of British Columbia Department of Language and Literacy Education. She is a former K-12 educator. Her research explores the experiences of K-12 English Language Learners in technology-enhanced settings. This episode builds on the REACH workshop " Insider, Outsider, In-Between: Navigating Positionality in Ethnographic Research," with Dr. Melanie Wong and Senyao Shen taking the conversation further and expanding on the themes we explored together. We’re grateful to them for co-designing and facilitating the original session, and for helping shape the space that made this ongoing discussion possible.

    11 min

  6. 10/27/2025

    Ethnography as Education

    Guest Speaker: Dr. Jennifer Jenson, Professor of Digital Languages, Literacies & Cultures in the Department of Language and Literacy Education, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia. Prior to coming to UBC (January 2019), Dr. Jenson spent 18 years at York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where she was Director of the Institute for Research on Digital Learning. Host: The Research Engagement and Collaboration Hub (REACH), the Department of Language and Literacy Education, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia. Host in This Episode: Dr. Kristiina Kumpulainen is a Professor and Head of the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia. Her research scholarship is grounded on relational and cultural-historical inquiries into communication, learning and education to better understand how social, historical, political, cultural and material contexts open and/or disclose educational opportunities for diverse learners. Dr. Melanie Wong is an Associate Professor of Teaching in the University of British Columbia Department of Language and Literacy Education. She is a former K-12 educator. Her research explores the experiences of K-12 English Language Learners in technology-enhanced settings. This episode extends the REACH workshop “Ethnography as Education,” where Dr. Jennifer Jenson dives deeper into the ideas explored during the session. We also acknowledge the great work of Irina Tursunkulova, a Ph.D. student in our department, who co-organized and led the original workshop, helping create the space for this continuing dialogue.

    14 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

Welcome to REACHing Beyond: Conversations on Language and Literacy Research Methods and Methodologies. This is a podcast from the Research Engagement and Collaboration Hub (REACH). We are associated with the Digital Literacy Centre of the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia, Canada. The university is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Musqueam peoples. Conceived with the mission to diversify and broaden learning, exchange, and research opportunities, REACH is dedicated to advancing the knowledge and comprehension of research methodologies and methods, specifically within the domains of literacy and language education, among LLED community members and beyond. This podcast extends conversations from our REACH workshops, where our guest speakers, who are faculty members and students, reflect on questions, insights, and ideas that emerge from our shared explorations of research methodologies and methods.

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