Professor Zhu Hua

Prior to joining Birmingham, Zhu Hua was Professor of Applied Linguistics and Communication, Birkbeck College, University of London and served as Head of Department and Assistant Dean in School of Social Sciences, History and Philosophy, Birkbeck College, University of London.  

Zhu Hua supervises research postgraduates in multilingual and intercultural communication in the following areas:
• Language and migration
• Language and culture learning
• Family language policy
• Language, culture and communication

Zhu Hua’s main research interests span across multilingual and intercultural communication and child language. She seeks to bring together different areas of her research interests by investigating multiple language use, learning and socialisation in relation to intercultural understanding and identity in a range of contexts including multilingual, diasporic families, the workplace, children’s international summer camps, and formal and informal learning situations. The key theoretical concept she has been working on is Interculturality which problematises the cultural account for mis- or non-understanding in interactions and emphasises the ‘inter’ nature of interactions.

Zhu Hua’s main research interests span across multilingual and intercultural communication and child language. She seeks to bring together different areas of her research interests by investigating multiple language use, learning and socialisation in relation to intercultural understanding and identity in a range of contexts including multilingual, diasporic families, the workplace, children’s international summer camps, and formal and informal learning situations. The key theoretical concept she has been working on is Interculturality which problematises the cultural account for mis- or non-understanding in interactions and emphasises the ‘inter’ nature of interactions.

Zhu Hua’s current research grant include ‘Capacity building for developing standardised and computerised speech and language assessment tools in China’ (PI, £24,620, Academy of Medical Science, 2019-21).  She have recently completed a project funded by ESRC on  ‘Family Language Policy: A Multi-level Investigation of Multilingual Practices in Transnational Families’ (CI, 2017-2020, £849,192 in collaboration with IOE and University of Bath).  Other recently completed research projects include: the AHRC Translating Cultures Large Grant, 2014-2018, ‘Translation and translanguaging: Investigating linguistic and cultural transformation in superdiverse wards in four UK cities’ (CI of programme and Co-PI of London project); and the Leverhulme, 2016-17, Translanguaging and visual art (PI, £14,338; in collaboration with visual artist, Ella McCartney).

In addition, she has secured two Knowledge Transfer Partnership grants: Developing leadership skills, global citizenship and intercultural communicative competence among young people (funded by ESRC/TSB in partnership with Raleigh International, 2008-10, 122,818),  and Developing cross-cultural competence in young children (funded by ESRC/DTI in partnership with CISV (2004-7, £125,000).