Peer Mentors

Kirsty is a second year PhD candidate, secondary school teacher, mum to 3 teenagers and in her spare time keeps bees and practices yoga.  Her research area is gender-based violence in schools and she is a keen coffee morning organiser, and attendee, which she enjoys as part of her student rep role.  She has lived in and around Exeter for over 20 years and enjoys coming onto campus to see people “in real life”! 

 www.twitter.com/@kirsty_cann 

My name is Mia and I’m from China. I was a primary school teacher in my own country before moving to the UK. I have so taught both English and Chinese for ten years. As a second-year PhD candidate, I am currently researching the topic of EAP collaborative teaching. Running and swimming are two of my interests, but I also enjoy talking to others. 

As a 3rd Year PhD student of Linguistics, I love communicating with different people, especially sharing my own knowledge and experience of university and Exeter life. My research interest focuses on academic writing studies, and I’m also crazy into pop music and anime. I’m here to help my fellow students feel part of our community and navigate the challenges of uni life. Let’s conquer this adventure together!  

Research Interests: Academic Writing, Vocabulary Acquisition, Corpus Linguistics  

Hi I’m Minlin Minny Zou 

I am a PhD candidate in School of Education at University of Exeter. My research interests are Positive psychology, Informal digital learning of English, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, L2 writing, and Language testing and assessment. My hobbies are listening to music, broadcasting and hosting, practicing calligraphy, and doing photography. 

https://researchpubs.exeter.ac.uk/userprofile.html?uid=42447 

Hello everyone! My name is Xuan. My research area is technology-enhanced language learning, English vocabulary learning and language learners’ engagement. As a peer mentor, I hope I can use my experience of university life in Exeter to give you support and advice. Hope you can enjoy your life and study here. 

Hello! My name is Yichang, and I’m currently a fourth-year PhD student in education at the University of Exeter and I’m thrilled to be part of the Peer Mentor program. I also hold a Master’s degree in TESOL from the University of Exeter. My goal is to offer guidance, support, and share my experiences to help you make the most of your semester. I am primarily interested in vocabulary knowledge and reading development in second language (L2) learners. I look forward to working with you all!

Hi, I’m Xiaona (Aurora). I’m a PhD student at the School of Education. My research area includes L2 language acquisition, motivation, corpus, academic writing and reading. I completed two master’s degrees in the UK, so I have plenty of experience and tips to help you navigate the various challenges you may face as a master’s student. University life can be challenging, but together, we can overcome those hurdles and make the most of this incredible journey.