Dr. WAN Yau Ni Jenny 
Assistant Professor
PhD in Applied Linguistics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)
B.A. (Hons) Language Studies with Business, PolyU
 
Research Profiles and Publication Record:  
Scopus Author | ORCID ID | Google Scholar | HKSYU Institutional Repository | ResearchGate

Courses Taught
  • Undergraduate Level
Interdisciplinary Approach to English Studies
Language of the Mass and Social Media
Discourse Analysis
English Writing I & II
English Usage I & II
Honors Project
 
  • Graduate Level
Guided Readings in English Studies
MPhil Supervision
 
 
Research Interests
Digital Evaluation and Interpersonal Meanings
Healthcare Communication
Medical and Research Ethics Discourse
Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL)
Corpus-Assisted Discourse Analysis
 
Research Grant

2026-2027 (Principal Investigator) "Anticipatory grief in digital communication: Narratives in hospice care center websites and support group forums", Faculty Development Scheme, Research Grant Council Hong Kong (HK$ 512,476).

2024-2026 (Principal Investigator) "E-care support: Comparing the communication strategies of Hong Kong and UK public hospice care center websites", University Research Grant – Hong Kong Shue Yan University (HK$12,352.5) (Completed).

Selected Peer-reviewed Journal Publications
  • Digital Healthcare Communication
Wan, Y. N., & Zeng, W. (2026). Constructing digital support at end-of-life: A cross-cultural analysis of interpersonal engagement on hospice websites. Health Communication, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2026.2675708
 (SSCI Q1)
 
Wan, Y. N., Forey, G., & Zeng, W. (2026). Digital framing in end-of-life communication: Constructing “good death” support in the discourse of hospice care institutions in the UK and Hong Kong. Healthcare, 14(9), 1187. 
 
  • Dark Tourism Discourse
Wan, Y. N. (2026). Digital visitor discourse on massacre memorials: Appraisal and collocational analysis in family and school learning contexts. Cogent Social Sciences, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2026.2686011. (ESCI; Scopus Q1)
 
Wan, Y. N. (2025). The evaluative language of dark tourism: Exploring visitors’ attitudinal meanings of Holocaust memorials. Current Issues in Tourism, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2025.2541063. (SSCI Q1)
 
  • Manuscripts in Revision
Wan, Y. N., & Li, W. O. Discourse on social and psychological theory. In revision following peer review at an ESCI-indexed journal.
 
Wan, Y. N., & Li, W. O. Discourse on neuro-ethics. In revision following peer review at an SSCI Q2 journal.
 
Selected Conference Presentations
  • Health Communication and Hospice Discourse
Wan, Y. N. (2026). “Grieving in the digital space: A systemic functional linguistic study of anticipatory grief in hospice narratives”. Paper at International Systemic Functional Congress 2026: Global Voices and Local Impacts: Advancing Language Education through Systemic Functional Linguistics, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong CHINA, 11-16 July 2026.
 
Wan, Y. N. (2026). "Grief in words: Exploring emotional resilience in digital hospice narratives”. Paper at the International Conference on Human Resilience: Navigating Life Changes & Challenges (HRCONF2026). Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong CHINA, May 27 – 30, 2026.
 
Wan, Y. N., & Zeng, W. H. (2026). “Digital healthcare discourse: A comparative study of public hospice websites across cultures”. Paper at Symposium on Language Science (ISLS) 2026: Interdisciplinary Research and the Legacy of Yuen Ren Chao, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong CHINA, 8-9 May 2026. 
 
  • Ethical and Scientific Discourse

Wan, Y. N. & Li, W. O. (2026). “Ethical considerations in health and care research: Analyzing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) case reports in neurocognitive research”. Paper at International Systemic Functional Congress 2026: Global Voices and Local Impacts: Advancing Language Education through Systemic Functional Linguistics, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong CHINA, 11-16 July 2026.

Wan, Y. N. & Li, W. O. (2026). “Research ethics in scientific writing: Ethical discourse in pediatric neurocognitive disorder studies”. Paper at Innovations in Language Education: Advancing Pedagogy, Practice, and Research, The Centre for Applied English Studies (CAES), The University of Hong Kong (HKU), and the Association of Hong Kong Language Centres (AHKLC), Hong Kong CHINA, 2-3 June, 2026.

Invited Academic Presentations
  • Research Development and Grant Writing

Wan, Y. N. (2026). “The ALPHA path: Structuring competitive FDS proposals”. Presentation at Seminar on CRFS 2027/28 Preparation, Research Office of the Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong, CHINA, Jun 26, 2026.

Wan, Y. N. (2025). “From seed to fruit: Language features and cross-sectional linkages in the objective, impact statement, and budget of FDS grant proposal”. Presentation at Preparing Impact Statement and Budget for RGC’s CRFS for the 2026/27 Exercise, Research Office of the Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong, CHINA, Nov 21, 2025.

  • Research Dissemination

Wan, Y. N. (2025) “Digital communication in dark tourism: Interpreting visitor narratives in China’s War of Resistance Museums and Memorials.” 「價值觀教育研討會」，香港樹仁大學田家炳孝道文化教研中心主辦  Hong Kong, CHINA, Dec 21, 2025. 

Ad Hoc Reviewer 
International Journal of Tourism Research (2025 - ) (SSCI Q1)
 
Health Communication (2026 - )  (SSCI Q1)
 
Cultural Trends (2025 - ) (SSCI & AHCI Q1)