Dr. Lillian Wong

Dr Lillian Wong is an accomplished educator, scholar, teacher educator and academic leader whose work has contributed to advancing English language education, teacher development and academic communication in higher education and professional communities in Hong Kong and internationally. Her expertise spans English for Academic Purposes (EAP), English for Specific Purposes (ESP), TESOL, Applied Linguistics, curriculum innovation and technology-enhanced language learning. Through her teaching, scholarship, leadership and professional service, she has helped shape educational practice, support the development of educators and researchers, and foster meaningful connections between research and practice.

Lillian has extensive experience teaching EAP, ESP, TESOL and Applied Linguistics across undergraduate, postgraduate and teacher education programmes. She has supervised over 40 master’s dissertations and more than 85 postgraduate projects and portfolios to successful completion, supporting the development of future language educators, researchers and professionals. As a teacher educator, she has designed and delivered professional development programmes for thousands of educators through university, government-funded and international initiatives, promoting innovation, reflective practice and excellence in language education.

At CAES, Lillian has made significant contributions to curriculum innovation, programme development, teacher education and professional learning. She coordinated the English for Arts Students Programme, the University’s largest undergraduate English programme, and the English Programme for the Graduate School, where she developed courses and workshops to enhance graduate students’ academic writing, research communication and presentation skills. She also coordinated the Postgraduate Diploma in English Language Teaching and a range of large-scale in-service English teacher development programmes commissioned by the Hong Kong Education Bureau, led the development of the Professional Development Programme in Teaching English for Academic Purposes (EAP), and served as Founding Chair of the Research and Professional Development Committee (RPDC), helping to strengthen the Centre’s culture of scholarship, collaboration and professional growth. Her leadership has expanded learning opportunities for students and supported the professional development of educators within and beyond the University.

Her research interests include innovation and change in language education, teacher professional development, technology-enhanced language learning, curriculum design and materials development, data-driven learning, postgraduate thesis writing, EAP and ESP. She has delivered more than 170 presentations at conferences and professional events worldwide, including 66 plenary presentations, keynote addresses and invited talks. Her research has been published in leading international journals, including TESOL Quarterly, JEAP, ReCALL and System, and in influential scholarly books. Her publications include Innovation and Change in English Language Education (Routledge, 2013), Faces of English Education (Routledge, 2017), Specialised English: New Directions in ESP and EAP Research and Practice (Routledge, 2019), The Bloomsbury Handbook of Discourse Analysis (2nd Edition) (Bloomsbury, 2021), Best practices in English teaching and learning in higher education: Lessons from Hong Kong for global practice (Routledge, 2024).

Internationally, Lillian has established extensive collaborations with universities, researchers, professional associations and teacher education communities across Asia and beyond. A long-standing contributor to TESOL International Association, she has served on its Board of Directors and chaired both the Research Professional Council and the Professional Development Committee. She has also served as a consultant, external examiner and invited expert for universities, educational organisations and professional bodies in the region and internationally. In addition, she has led or co-led 15 funded projects with a combined value exceeding HK$12 million and chaired major international conferences that have brought together educators and researchers to advance innovation in language education.

Through her sustained contributions to teaching, scholarship, leadership and professional service, Lillian continues to promote excellence, innovation and collaboration in English language education while supporting the development of students, educators and academic communities locally and globally.