Meet L2TReC's Research Assistant: Dingqi Chen
L2TReC is supported by a great team of dedicated teachers, researchers, and administrators. Part of that team consists of our wonderful Research Assistants, who provide much needed support for work across the center's Learner Corpora, MuSSeL and CUDLI. Today, we are highlighting our Research Assistant and PhD student, Dingqi Chen. Learn more about Dinqi and his contributions to L2TReC below.
Tell us about yourself.
Hi, my name is Dingqi Chen, and I am currently working as a Research Assistant at L2TReC at the University of Utah. I enjoy reading manga and watching anime, as well as traveling. I am also a PhD student in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at the University of Utah.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.
I can speak three languages, and my native language is Chinese. When I was in middle school, I struggled with choosing which university to attend. I was torn between going to Japan or the United States. At that time, I had a strong passion for Japanese pop culture, but as you can see, I ultimately chose the U.S. I decided that by taking Japanese as my primary foreign language for my general education requirements, I could learn both Japanese and English. That decision led me to speak in both languages.
What are your research interests?
My primary research interests focus on media studies related to current trends in Japan and China. More specifically, I study online user social activities and virtual worlds. Additionally, I am interested in the representation of Marxism in Japanese animated series. As a research assistant and a former linguistics major during my undergraduate studies, I am also passionate about exploring linguistic features and language structures.
Do you have any previous experience in academic research? If so, tell us a little bit about it.
Previously, I received training in Japanese linguistic analysis from a professor at UCLA. I learned how to use AntConc to analyze linguistic features in a target language. This experience helped me develop a strong foundation in corpus linguistics and data analysis.
What’s your role as a research assistant at L2TReC? What do you do? What are you working on?
As a research assistant at L2TReC, my main responsibility is summarizing and analyzing recent linguistic research papers to identify key insights and emerging trends. This process helps me explore potential topics for my own research.
What are you planning to do in 2025?
In 2025, I plan to finalize my first research project and begin working on it in-depth.
What do you do when you are not working or studying? How do you like to spend your downtime?
During summer vacations, I travel to Japan regularly, usually spending about a month living in Tokyo. This time allows me to relax and find peace of mind.
