Hi there!

Thanks for visiting.

I was born in Pingliang, Gansu, Northwestern China. It is slightly different from the primary cities in China due to the blend of Taoism, Islam, and Buddhism. And I always believe this silk-road city is the most beautiful place in the world.

When I was six, my parents and I moved to Xi’an, the ancient capital of 13 dynasties. I stayed there all the way through primary school, high school, and even undergrad at Xi’an Jiaotong University. Sometimes I joke that staying in one city for so long sounds boring, but honestly, Jiaotong gave me everything I needed and a lot of room to grow. I’m especially proud to be an alumna of The High School Affiliated to Xi’an Jiaotong University.

I took German in 7th and 8th grade, and somehow “Deutsch” still comes to mind before “German”—same with “biologie” instead of “biology.” Oddly enough, I didn’t have the same problem with Spanish at XJTU or Italian during my exchange semester in Madison. I started learning linguistics as a sophomore exchange student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I believe many students have heard about the course LINGUIS 101/301, which is also the beginning of everything for me.

After the memorable learning experience during COVID, I returned to XJTU to finish my B.A. under the supervision of Prof. Xiaopeng Zhang. In his lab, I got to run eye-tracking experiments, collect data, and dive into statistical analysis… In 2022, I joined CityU and was lucky enough to meet Dr. Jixing Li. Now I’m one of the founding members of the LAMB Lab.

Another part of my language learning journey is closely tied to music. Thanks to my mom and my three-year-old self, I started piano lessons at a very young age and kept at it for four years. In primary school, I also studied violin and took vocal training (I’m pretty sure my mom was secretly hoping I’d end up at a music conservatory). I completed all the graded exams for a traditional Chinese instrument, cucurbit flute, which is her favorite.

Zhengwu

The picture was taken in Cheung Chau, Hong Kong, 2022