Personal profile
Personal profile
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.
Professional information
Research interests
- Language development in bilingual children.
- Literacy acquisition in dual-language contexts.
- Educational strategies for supporting bilingual learners.
- Cultural and cognitive factors influencing bilingualism.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
-
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 3 Finished
-
Writing from the Start: The Writing Readiness Skills in Early Writing Development for L1 and L2 Chinese Speaking Kindergarten Children
ZHOU, Y. (PI)
01/01/19 → 30/04/22
Project: Research project
-
Dialogical Reading Programme on Chinese Language and Emergent Literacy Learning in Ethnic Minority Preschool Children in Hong Kong
CHUNG, K. K. H. (CoI), ZHOU, Y. (PI) & C., M. (CoI)
08/02/16 → 07/08/18
Project: Research project
-
Processes of children’s literacy acquisition in Chinese as a second language
ZHOU, Y. (CoI), Prof., M.-C. C. A. (PI), Prof., J. F. (CoI) & Prof., J. R. M. (CoI)
01/01/14 → 31/01/16
Project: Research project
-
Exploring Hong Kong kindergarten teachers’ use of technology (GenAI) to support the needs of L1 and L2 Chinese language learners
ZHOU, Y., NEUMANN, M. M., ZHU, M., WONG, Y. K. G. & LI, S., 2026, In: Journal of Research in Childhood Education. 40, 1, p. 46-66Research output: Contribution to journal › Articles › peer-review
-
Role of metalinguistic awareness in young learners of Chinese as a second language in character reading and spelling: A one-year longitudinal study
WONG, Y. K., ZHOU, Y. & ZHANG, D., Mar 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Reading and Writing.Research output: Contribution to journal › Articles › peer-review
Open Access -
The need to go beyond “Basic Knowledge and Basic Skills”: Development and validation of the early mathematical content inventory for preschool teachers
SUN, J., WANG, Y., LI, J., CHEUNG, S. K., ZHOU, Y. & ZHANG, L., Dec 2025, In: International Journal of Early Childhood. 57, p. 623-647Research output: Contribution to journal › Articles › peer-review
-
Role of transcription skills in young Chinese language learners’ sentence writing: A one year longitudinal study
WONG, Y. K., BAI, B., MCBRIDE, C., SHUM, M. S. K. & ZHOU, Y., Jan 2024, In: Reading and Writing. 37, p. 1-24Research output: Contribution to journal › Articles › peer-review
1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (Scopus) -
Invented spelling in English and pinyin in multilingual L1 and L2 Cantonese Chinese speaking children in Hong Kong
ZHOU, Y. & MCBRIDE, C., Jan 2023, In: Frontiers in Psychology. 13, 1039461.Research output: Contribution to journal › Articles › peer-review
Open Access5 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)