Dr. Yanling Zhou is a developmental psychologist and a certified primary and secondary school teacher. Before transitioning to research, she spent over a decade as a language teacher and teacher trainer in primary and secondary schools. Her research focuses on developmental psychology, particularly the language and literacy development of Chinese and English as both first (L1) and second languages (L2) in typically developing children and those with learning difficulties in early education settings. She examines key factors such as the underlying mechanisms of literacy acquisition, parental influence, and language teaching pedagogies to inform effective educational practices.

Her recent research explores the integration of both digital (including AI) and non-digital tools in pedagogical design for language teaching, aiming to enhance early bilingual literacy education through innovative, research-driven approaches.

• Language development in bilingual children.
• Literacy acquisition in dual-language contexts.
• Educational strategies for supporting bilingual learners.
• Cultural and cognitive factors influencing bilingualism.