Dr. Wang, the Director of the Chinese Language Program at Asian Studies, teaches Mandarin Chinese language courses at UBC. Her Chinese name is 王蒨, which has two parts: WANG, which is her family name meaning king, and Qian, her given name, representing a type of grass that can survive a cold winter. She is interested in a variety of languages and dialects; she speaks fluent Cantonese and a couple other Chinese dialects, as well as knowing a bit of Korean, French, and Japanese, and German.

Through innovative methods of teaching, she strives to incorporate the latest linguistic theories with her extensive teaching experience to offer every student a personalized learning experience. Furthermore, she aims to extend students’ learning beyond the classroom, providing learning they can apply in the greater world. With the aid of UBC Flexible Learning funding, she has already developed many new online materials for students and instructors.  She is engaged in a multitude of other teaching and learning enhancement projects, which gives birth to a constant stream of new and innovative ideas regarding the teaching of second/foreign languages. Her ultimate goal is to help language programs become not just a place to become proficient in a specific language, but instead a place where students find a passion lasting through their entire life, taking them on a journey of exploration and joy.

In her free time, Dr. Wang enjoys knifework (not with a sword), being skilled in chopping up anything ranging from fruits and veggies to bread and cakes. She has a collection of knives, and always knows the perfect knife for whatever is needed. She lives on campus with her husband, two boys, and her baby kitten Envy.