Cong Xia Li

Every year, students at the University nominate staff who have gone ‘above and beyond’ for a Reading Students’ Union (RSU) Excellence Award.

This year, the new School of Humanities – comprising the Departments of Classics, History, English Language and Applied Linguistics, English Literature, and Languages and Cultures – is extremely proud of its number of nominations.

A total of 55 nominations were received for Teaching Excellence and another 7 for the ‘Academic Tutor’ and ‘Diverse and Inclusive Teaching’ categories.

RSU Excellence Award: Diverse and Inclusive Teaching

We are delighted to announce that the winner of 2024's RSU Excellence Award: Diverse and Inclusive Teaching (University-wide) is Cong Xia Li, Lecturer in Mandarin Chinese in the Department of Languages and Cultures.

Upon receiving this award, she said:

"Receiving the Excellence Award for Diverse and Inclusive Teaching is a profound honour, especially knowing it stems from the appreciation of my students. It represents recognition of efforts dedicated to fostering an environment where every student feels valued and empowered to thrive.

Throughout my 17 years of teaching Mandarin Chinese at the University, I have embraced various teaching methodologies to ensure accessibility for diverse learners. By integrating intercultural awareness into my teaching practices, I aim to create a classroom atmosphere that celebrates the richness of varied perspectives and backgrounds.

Additionally, I’ve actively organised events to facilitate collaboration and peer learning among native speakers and language learners, thereby enriching our educational environment. Recent initiatives include virtual exchange programs with native speakers from Chinese and Japanese universities, and weekly LingoLink events on campus for 10 languages, such as Spanish film night, Sign with me (BSL) and cultural quizzes.

These accomplishments wouldn’t have been achievable without the support of my colleagues, the Reading Students’ Union, and the international students, whose invaluable contributions enhance our learning community. The positive feedback from students and this recognition fill me with profound gratitude, inspiring me to continue promoting for diversity and inclusion – not only within the classroom but also across the entire campus and beyond."