Our People

Our team consists of passionate aviation communication professionals eager to guide you through the myriad of career opportunities in this field. We offer comprehensive career guidance, industry connections, and educational resources to help you navigate your aviation journey. Whether you are interested in piloting, air traffic control, aircraft maintenance, or aviation management, we provide the tools and insights you need to succeed.
Prof. Eric Friginal is the Professor and Head of the Department of English and Communication, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He received his PhD from Northern Arizona University, USA. Before joining the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, he was Professor of Applied Linguistics at the Department of Applied Linguistics and ESL and Director of International Programs at the College of Arts and Sciences, Georgia State University (GSU), USA. He specializes in applied corpus linguistics, quantitative research, language policy and planning, technology and language teaching, sociolinguistics, cross-cultural communication, discipline-specific writing, and the analysis of spoken professional discourse in the workplace. His recent publications include The Routledge Handbook of Corpus Approaches to Discourse Analysis (2020), co-edited with Jack Hardy; Advances in Corpus-based Research on Academic Writing: Effects of Discipline, Register, and Writer Expertise, co-edited with Ute Römer and Viviana Cortes (John Benjamins, 2020); English in Global Aviation: Context, Research, and Pedagogy, with Elizabeth Mathews and Jennifer Roberts (Bloomsbury, 2019); and Corpus Linguistics for English Teachers: New Tools, Online Resources, and Classroom Activities (Routledge, 2018). He is the founding co-editor-in-chief of Applied Corpus Linguistics (ACORP) Journal published by Elsevier.
Dr. Hyejeong Kim is a Research Assistant Professor at the Department of English and Communication, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She received her PhD in Applied Linguistics and Educational Linguistics, School of Languages and Linguistics, University of Melbourne. Her research focusses on English as a lingua franca, intercultural communication, and English for specific purposes, pilot-air traffic controller communication in particular, and language testing. She has published in leading international journals including Applied Linguistics, Language Testing, Language & Communication, and Australian Review of Applied Linguistics.

Dr. Meng Ye is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of English and Communication, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She received her PhD from the same university. Her primary research focus encompasses corpus-assisted discourse analysis, professional communication, and media discourse. Her work has appeared in leading international journals including Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Discourse & Communication, Language & Communication, and International Journal of Legal Discourse.
Amber Wanwen Wang is a PhD student at the Department of English and Communication at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her research interests include controlled language in aviation, corpus linguistics, and quantitative methodologies in applied linguistics. Her PhD project explores using controlled (or simplified) technical English to aid writers and readers of aircraft maintenance documentation, aiming to increase safety and efficiency, and facilitate easier translation (including both human and computer-assisted processes) in maintenance operations.
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